^OFPm,L 


AUG  21  1997 


A 


^LOGICAL  Sl^^> 


CELEBRATION 


OF  THE 


Two  Hundred  and  Twenty-Fifth 
Anniversary 


V 


OF  THE 


First  Presbyterian  Church 


WOODBRIDGE,  N.J. 


May  27,  30  and  3  1, 


1  900. 


of  ntiKCf) 

JUN    20  1997 


Errata. 

Page  26— Wm.    H.    Cutter,    in    place    of    Wm.    H. 
Cutler. 

Page  32— Ago,   in  place  of  Agone. 


1803 


1 !»  XI. 


Anniversary  Celebration. 


At  a  meeting  of  the  session  and  representatives  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  and  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society,  held  March  5,  1900,  it  was  resolved 
to  observe  the  Two  Hundred  and  Twenty- Fifth  Anniversary  of  our 
Church.     The  following  named  persons  were  appointed  : 

THE   EXECUTIVE   COMMITTEE. 

Rev.  Joseph  M.  McNulty,  D.D.,  Pastor. 

Isaac  S.  Payne. 

W.  H.  Brown. 

James  P.  Prall. 

Marcus  A.  Brown. 

T.  Harvey  Morris. 

William  Edgar. 

Howard  A.  Tappen. 

Thomas  C.  Brown. 

Mrs.  J.  M.  McNulty. 

Miss  S.  Anna  Cutter. 

Mrs.  J.  F.  Clarkson. 

Mrs.  M.  A.  Brown. 

Mrs.  William  Edgar. 

Mrs.  James  P.  Prall. 

Miss  Anna  Coddington. 

It  was  resolved  that  the  Exercises  should  beheld  on  May  27th,  30th 
and  31st,  1900,  and  should  consist  of: 

( 1 . )     A  commemorative  sermon  by  the  Pastor. 

(2.)     The  Eighty-Second  Anniversary  of  the  Sabbath- School. 

(3.  )  Words  from  affiliated  churches  and  an  address  by  Rev.  David 
R.  Frazer,  D.D. ,  Pastor  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Newark,  N.  J. 

(4.  )      "  The  Mid- Week  meeting  in  Church  History. ' ' 

(5.)  A  Banquet,  on  Thursday  evening,  under  the  direction  of  the 
ladies  of  the  church. 

The  decoration  of  the  church  consisted  of  Palms  arranged  on  the 
pulpit  and  organ.  The  1675  and  1900,  in  gilt,  appeared  on  each  side  of 
the  platform,  the  flags  of  England  and  the  United  States  were  suspended 
between  them.  The  following  was  the  programme  of  the  Sunday  and 
Wednesday  evening  services  : 


PROGRAMME. 


♦ 


SUNDAY  MORNING  AT  HALF-PAST  TEN. 

Organ  Prelude. 

Doxology,  followed  by  Invocation. 

Commandments. 

Hymn  1060.  Scripture  Reading. 

Prayer  -  Rev.  E.  Morris  Fergussox. 

Anthem. 

Reception  of  the  New  Communion  Service. 

Hymn  95S.  Notices  and  Offering. 

Commemorative  Sermon. 

Prayer.  Hymn  1067. 

Benediction. 


*t* 


SUNDAY  AFTERNOON  AT  HALF-PAST  TWO. 


Eighty-Second    Anniversary   of    the   Sunday    School. 


I. 

Hymn 

- 

2. 

Hymn 

- 

3- 

Hymn 

- 

4- 

Hymn 

- 

5- 

Prayer 

- 

6. 

Anthem 

- 

7- 

Scripture 

- 

8. 

Report     - 

- 

9- 

Hymn 

- 

10. 

Review- 

- 

1 1. 

Primary  H\ 

•ran 

12. 

Offering 

- 

13. 

Hymn  by  J 

uniors 

14. 

Address 

- 

15. 

Hymn 

- 

16. 

Prayer 

- 

17. 

Hymn 

- 

iS. 

Prayer 

- 

19. 

Hymn 

- 

"  Hallelujah,  'tis  done  " 

' '  Rejoice  and  be  glad  " 

What  a  friend  we  have  in  Jesus  " 

"  Sweet  Hour  of  Prayer" 

By  the  Pastor 

Choir 

Deut.  vi :  1-9  and  20,  23 

By  the  Secretary 

'•Hold  the  Fort" 

School  for  S2  Years 

•'Jesus  Loves  Me" 

What  Shall  the  Children  Bring?" 

Rev.  E.  Morris  Fergusson 

"What  Shall  the  Harvest  Be  ?  " 

' '  Gates  Ajar  ' ' 

••  Sweet  Bye  and  Bye  " 


Benediction. 
6 


SABBATH  EVENING,  MAY  27th,  AT  HALF-PAST  SEVEN. 

Pastor  Presiding.         Union  Service. 

Anthem. 

Hymn  771.  Scripture  Reading.  Prayer 

Anthem.  Hymn  1057. 

Notices  and  Offering.  Letters  of  Regret. 

Words  from  Affiliated  Churches. 

Metuchen  and  Carteret. 

Episcopal.  Congregational  and  Methodist. 

Address  -  Rev.  David  R.  Frazer,  D.D. 

Anthem. 

Response  from  Princeton  University.  Hymn  1049. 

Benediction. 

4? 

WEDNESDAY  EVENING,  MAY  30th,  AT  HALF-PAST  SEVEN. 

The  Pastor  Presiding.  Union  Service. 

SUBJECT :  "The  Mid-  Week  Meeting  in  Church  History ." 

Devotional  Introduction  of  Prayer  and  Song. 

First  Presentation. 

The  True  Character  of  the  Mid- Week   Meeting   and   its 
Relation  to  the  Church. 

Rev.  Harlan  G.  Mendenhall,  D.D. 
Second  Presentation. 

The  Best  Method  of  Conducting   a   Mid-Week    Meeting 

Now,  and  How  Our  Fathers  Did  It. 

Rev,  John  Kerr. 
Third  Presentation. 

The  Worth  of  Prayer  in  the  History  of  a  Church. 

Rev.  Dr.  Liggett. 

Prayer  and  Song  interspersed. 

The  Banquet  was  held  on  Thursday  evening  in  the  church  parlors ; 
the  rooms  were  handsomely  decorated  with  palms  and  the  National 
colors.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  guests  sat  down  to  tables  arranged 
about  the  rooms,  and  were  served  by  the  young  ladies  of  the  church, 
after  which  the  following  programme  was  enjoyed  : 


BANQUET. 

i .     The  Day  We  Celebrate. 

The  Days  of  An  Id  Lang  Syne. 

Rev.  J.  M.  McNulty,  D.  D. 

2.  The  Presbytery  of  Elizabeth. 

Bearing  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day. 

Rev.  J.  A.  Blauvelt,  D.  D. 

3.  Our  Affiliated  Churches. 

Beloved  in  the  Lord. 
Rev.  J.  D.  Mason,  D.  D.,  Rev.  T.  C.  Miller,   Rev.  Ernest  Brown, 
Rev.  E.  N.  Crasto,  Rev.  S.  B.  Rathbun. 

4.  Some  Founders  of  the  Church. 

They  Bnilded  Better  Than  They  Knezv. 

Marcus  A.  Brown. 

5.  .Some  Revolutionary  Heroes  of  the  Church. 

Strong  in  the  Lord  and  in  the  Power  of  His  Might . 

Ellis  B.  Freeniau. 

6.  The  Elders  of  the  Past. 

By  Faith  the  Elders  obtained  a  good  report. 

William  Edgar. 

7.  The  Pastors  of  the  Church. 

Leaders  of  the  Sacramental  Hosts. 

T.  Harvey  Morris. 

8.  The  Women  of  the  Church. 

Help  those  women  who  laboured  with  me  in  the  Gospel. 

Mrs.  Joel  Melick. 

9.  Our  Visitors. 

A  cloud  of  witnesses. 

Rev.  Mr.  Steuchell. 


JOS.     M.     McXULTY,     D.D. 


COMMEMORATIVE    SERMON. 

B  V  REV  .  J.  M.  McXULTY,  D.D. 

"Lord  thou  hast  been  our  dwelling-place  in  all  generations." 

Psalm  90: 1 . 
"  We  have  heard  with  our  ears,  O  GocT,   our  fathers  have  told  us, 
what  work  thou  didst  in  their  days  in  the  times  of  old. "      Psalm  44: 1 . 

The  writers  of  these  two  magnificent  Psalms,  Moses  and  possibly 
David,  were  men,  the  mention  of  whose  names  were  enough,  to  arrest 
instant  attention — Poets,  Prophets,  Statesmen  men  of  God,  both  of  them, 
standing  not  in  one  of  the  habitations  of  the  land  of  Goshen,  nor  walk- 
ing the  c  u'ridors  of  Pharoh's  palace,  did  Moses  utter  the  sublime  decla- 
ration; ' '  Eord,  thou  hast  been  our  dwelling-place  in  all  generations, ' ' 
but  in  the  wilderness,  perhaps  from  the  summit  of  some  hill  as  his  eye 
"with  a  fine  frenzy  rolling"  swept  the  great  national  procession  of 
Israel's  tribes  pitching  their  tents  or  taking  them  up  in  their  journeying 
toward  the  promised  land.  His  mind  momentarily  glancing  back  over 
the  terrible  slavery  of  Egypt  and  then  the  travel-years  of  the  desert 
instantly  murmured  "alas!  alas!  they  have  no  continuing  city  any- 
where, "  yet  he  bethought  himself  at  once,  as  the  next  moment  he  lifted 
his  eye  to  heaven  and  exclaimed:  l '  Lord  thou  hast  been  our  dwelling- 
place  in  all  generations. ' ' 


This  same  prayerful  soliloquy  is  a  comfort  an  inspiration  for  the 
church  of  all  time;  and  with  the  years  of  the  church' s  past  crowding 
about  us  to-da3'  we  appropriate  it  to  ourselves.  And  so  beside  it  we 
quote  the  reminiscent  language  of  the  other  Psalm  as  we  suffer  our 
minds  to  travel  back  over  these  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  years  of 
the  past :  ' '  We  have  heard  with  our  ears,  O  God,  our  fathers  have  told 
us,  what  work  thou  didst  in  their  days  in  the  times  of  old." 

' '  Xo  good  deed  dies , ' '  says  Canon  Farrar,  ' '  be  it  a  rejoicing  river, 
be  it  but  a  tiny  rill  of  human  nobleness,  yet,  so  it  be  pure  and  clean, 
never  has  it  been  lost  in  the  poisonous  marshes  or  choked  in  the  muddy 
sands.  It  flows  inevitably  into  that  great  river  of  the  water  of  life  which 
is  not  lost,  save — if  that  be  to  be  lost — in  the  infinite  of  God's  eternal 
love.  If  we  fail  at  times  to  see  this  truth  in  the  little  facts  of  our  own 
lives,  let  us  look  beyond  them  and  see  it  unite  large  upon  the  history  of 
nations,  ' '  and  we  may  add,  on  the  history  of  the  church,  as  intimated 
by  David.  "  What  would  a  man  know  of  the  sea  by  standing  but  an 
hour  or  two  beside  its  waters  in  some  small  bay  ?  Could  he  suppose 
that  there  was  anything  but  idle  chance  in  its  little  eddies  or  sweeping 
currents  amid  the  windings  of  the  shore,  as  it  is  fretted  by  chance  puffs 
of  wind,  or  sways  over  great  beds  of  seaweed,  or  is  torn  by  protruding 
rocks  ?  But  let  him  study  the  phenomena  of  the  whole  great  deep 
itself,  and  then  he  wTill  learn  with  what  magnificent  and  unerring  regu- 
larity the  moon  sways  the  tidal  march  of  those  mighty  waters  which,  as 
they  roll  onwards,  majestic  and  irresistible,  whether  in  ebb  or  flow, 
refresh  and  purify  the  world.  Nor  is  it  otherwise  with  history — espec- 
ially in  long  melleniums  of  it. ' ' 

The  sweep  of  our  thought  to-day  passes  over  225  years,  but  we 
shall  find  ample  occupation  in  limiting  it  in  the  main  to  the  last  one 
hundred  years,  or  the  life  time,  almost,  of  the  present  venerable  church 
edifice.  These  national  and  municipal  and  ecclesiastical  commemora- 
tions and  anniversaries  occuring  so  frequently  just  now,  are  calculated 
to  be  eminently  useful  in  preserving  the  history  of  beginnings,  awaken- 
ing a  proper  pride  in  our  ancestry  and  their  work,  and  creating  friendly 
and  united  sentiment.  It  were  not  inappropriate  at  such  a  time  as  this 
that  our  minds  should  travel  a  little  for  a  moment  out  beyond  the  bound- 
aries of  the  mere  individual  congregation  at  whose  history  we  are  looking. 
We  are  but  a  little  part  of  the  great  Presbyterian  body,  and  we  think 
with  pride  of  the  magnificent  part  the  Presbyterian  denomination  has 
acted  on  the  stage  of  this  country' s  history.  It  has  had  a  glorious  past,  and 
we  believe  a  still  more  glorious  future  awaits  it  if  its  membership  is  true 
to  its  principles  both  of  doctrine  and  government.  A  committee  appointed 
to  report  to  the  General  Assembly  of  this  year,  now  in  session,  some 

10 


suitable  recognition  of  the  ushering  in  of  the  twentieth  century  describes 
the  progress  of  our  own  branch  of  the  church  as  very  remarkable.  l '  Our 
own  Presbyterian  Church,"  they  say,  "  has  increased  during  the  century, 
from  twenty  thousand  to  one  million  communicants,  and  more  than  two 
million  two  hundred  thousand  persons  have  been  received  into  our  con- 
gregations on  confession  of  faith  in  the  course  of  the  one  hundred  years. 
In  the  great  Missionary  advance  of  the  century,  both  in  the  home  and 
foreign  field,  our  missionaries  have  been  in  the  van,  and  the  church  was 
so  blessed  of  God  that  she  could  give  during  the  period  to  the  work  of 
saving  souls,  through  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  $21,154,867,  and 
through  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  $25, 150,806.  The  total  of  the 
Missionary  and  Benevolent  contributions  of  the  church  from  1801  to 
1900  exceeded  $87,000,000." 

Historians,  such  as  Bancroft,  have  told  us  that  the  first  organized 
demand  for  independence  in  this  country  came  from  Presbyterians,  and 
that  John  Calvin  was  the  real  father  of  modern  free  schools.  We  have 
been  informed  that  so  large  is  and  has  been  the  number  of  Presbyterian 
men  in  prominent  public  places  as  Judges,  Governors,  Senators  and 
Presidents  that  one  is  surprised  who  learns  for  the  first  time  that  the 
Presbyterian  Church  is  not  the  largest  church  in  the  country.  We  are 
informed  that  the  American  Bible  Society,  the  American  Tract  Society 
and  the  American  Sunday-School  Union,  and  many  other  such  philan- 
thropic organizations,  receive  far  more  from  the  Presbyterian  Church 
than  from  any  other  denomination.  It  leads  in  the  Foreign  Missionary 
work  as  conducted  in  this  land  Moreover  it  is  a  church  noted  for  its 
fraternal  spirit  and  the  spirit  of  cordial  courtesy  and  comity  it  ever  exhibits 
towards  other  denominations.  We  say  all  this  in  no  spirit  of  boasting, 
but  in  that  simply  of  thankful  recollection ,  as  our  eyes  glance  back  over 
our  worthy  ancestry  and  antecedents.  As  showing  the  patriotism  both 
of  this  old  church,  and  of  the  Presbyterian  element  of  society  in  this 
country,  and  as  demonstrating  the  tendency  both  of  Presbyterian  princi- 
ples and  government,  the  opening  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle  found 
the  Presbyterian  ministers  and  churches  to  a  man — as  the  historians  of 
the  time  tell  us — on  the  side  of  the  Colonies.  In  1775  the  General 
Synod  issued  a  pastoral  letter,  a  brief  extract  from  which  indicates  the 
spirit  prevailing  in  the  church  and  reads :  "Be  careful  to  maintain  the 
union  which  at  present  subsists  through  all  the  Colonies.  In  particular, 
as  the  Continental  Congress,  now  sitting  at  Philadelphia,  consists  of 
delegates  chosen  in  the  most  unbiased  manner  by  the  body  of  the  people, 
let  them  not  only  be  treated  with  respect  and  encouraged  in  their  diffi- 
cult service,  not  only  let  your  prayers  be  offered  up  to  God  for  his  direc- 
tion in  their  proceedings,  but  adhere  firmly  to  their  resolutions  and  let 


1 1 


it  be  seen  that  they  are  able  to  bring  out  the  whole  strength  of  this  vast 
country  to  carry  them  into  execution. ' ' 

Contemporary  with  this  letter  of  the  Synod  which  was  the  highest 
church  court  at  the  time  was  the  famous  Mecklenburgh  Declaration  of 
Independence  renouncing  all  allegiance  to  Great  Britain  passed  by  a 
Convention  in  North  Carolina,  composed  of  delegates  who  were  all  Pres- 
byterians, thus  anticipating  the  action  of  the  Colonial  Congress  in  the 
same  line  by  more  than  a  year.  Farther  in  the  Sessions  of  the  Congress, 
the  influence  of  no  delegate  exceeded  that  wielded  by  the  Rev.  John 
Withers poon,  President  of  Princeton  College,  the  only  clerical  signer  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  "  a  man,  Scotch  in  accent  and  strength 
of  conviction,  but  American  at  heart"  under  his  leadership,  and  that  cf 
others,  the  ministers  and  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  never 
faltered  in  their  devotion  to  the  cause  of  the  Independence  of  the  United 
States,  but  periled  all  for  its  support,  being  ready,  with  Witherspoon, 
to  go  to  the  block  if  need  be,  in  defence  of  civil  and  religious  liberty. 
So  resolute  and  aggressive  were  they  in  their  opposition  to  the  English 
Government,  that  the  Colonial  Cause  was  repeat edly  spoken  of  in  Great 
Britain  as  the  Presbyterian  Rebellion. ' '  One  reason  of  their  thorough 
loyalty  and  activity  in  the  cause  in  addition  to  the  great  principles  and 
interests  involved,  was  the  fact  that  Presbyterians  both  in  the  old  world 
and  the  new  had  been  accustomed  to  Representative  Government,  to  the 
subordination  of  the  parts  to  the  whole  and  to  the  rule  of  majorities  for 
more  than  two  centuries  prior  to  the  American  Revolution.  They  knew 
the  value  of  full  unity  to  the  new  States,  and  they  labored  earnestly  and 
persistently  until  the  divided  Colonies  became  the  United  States. 
Presbyterianism  is  by  nature  federative  and  not  devisive,  and  chief 
among  the  blessings  which  it  has  aided  in  bestowing  upon  the  Country 
was  and  is  the  Federal  Union.  The  federal  principle  whose  acknow- 
ledgement resulted  in  the  American  Nation  through  the  adoption  of  the 
Constitution  of  1 708  was  found  previous  to  that  year  in  full  operation  in 
America  only  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  had  in  it  its  most  prac- 
tical and  successful  advocate.  I  have  followed  in  these  observations  a 
line  of  thought  indicated  by  a  Presbyterian  Historian.  Our  old  Church 
here  in  its  Revolutionary  metal  was  no  exception,  I  am  proud  to  say,  to 
the  picture  of  Presbyterianism  I  have  presented;  hence  I  have  dwelt 
upon  it  as  I  have.  l '  All  honor  to  the  many  noble  men  and  women 
sleeping  out  in  yonder  cemetery  for  the  manner  in  which,  led  on  by  their 
patriotic  Pastor,  Dr.  Roe,  they  stood  together  and  suffered  together  for 
liberty  and  right. ' '  Descended  from  the  Puritans  they  were  true  to  their 
uncompromising  religious  ideas.  Emigrants  from  Massachusetts  organ- 
ized it,  coming  mostly  from  the  parish  of  Rev.    John  Woodbridge,   of 

12 


Newberry,  in  honor  of  whom  the  town  was  named,  to  perpetuate  their 
veneration  for  him.  Their  ancestors  having  fled  from  persecution  to 
obtain  civil  and  religious  liberty,  were  intensely  religious  and  gave  their 
children  names  which  largely  perpetuated  those  ideas,  such  as  Charity, 
Fear,  Hope,  Faith,  Restling,  Experience  and  Patience.  They  hated  all 
forms  of  superstition  embodied  in  religious  rites,  and  observed  the  Sab- 
bath with  great  strictness.  They  were  stern  and  upright,  but  sometimes 
a  grim  humor  spills  over  in  the  way  of  an  anecdote.  For  example, 
the  church  in  Stratford,  Conn,  divided,  we  are  told,  and  the  minority 
called  the  Rev.  Mr.  Walker  to  be  their  minister.  Dr.  Chauncey,  the  old 
pastor,  was  offended  at  some  of  Walker' s  statements  and  took  for  his  text 
at  the  earliest  opportunity,  ''Be  sober,  be  vigilant,  because  your  advers- 
ary, the  devil,  as  a  roaring  lion,  walketh  about  seeking  whom  he  may 
devour. ' '  His  first  point  was,  ' '  You  see,  my  Brethren,  that  the  devil 
is  a  great  Walker. ' ' 

Some  of  the  usages  of  those  early  churches  are  interesting  reading 
to-day  in  view  of  the  great  improvement  we  claim  to  have  made  in 
churcfi  order.  Salaries  were  paid  in  wheat,  peas,  pork,  beef,  Indian 
corn  and  rye,  at  market  value.  The  minister  also  was  provided  with 
wood  free  of  charge,  and  each  person  between  the  ages  of  16  and  66 
was  obliged  to  give  him  a  load  of  wood.  In  other  words  every  one  in 
the  congregation  was  required  to  do  his  individual  part  toward  the  sup- 
port of  the  church — the  right  gospel  idea,  certainly.  ' '  The  ministers 
wood-pile  must  have  been  a  sightly  object,"  some  one  remarks.  Then, 
too,  in  those  days,  every  traveller  who  came  to  the  tavern  of  the  town 
was  obliged  to  furnish  religious  testimonials  before  he  could  obtain  rest 
or  refreshments.  People  were  summoned  to  church  by  the  drum,  and 
were  seated  according  to  rank  by  the  Beadle,  who  carried  a  long  pole 
with  which  he  kept  children  in  order,  proded  the  sleepers,  and  exercised 
authority  over  the  congregation.  It  was  deemed  unbecoming,  improper 
and  highly  immoral  in  its  tendency  for  women  to  sing  in  church,  because 
Paul  had  commanded  that  "the  women  keep  silence  in  the  churches." 
The  Psalms  were  ' '  lined  out  "  by  a  Deacon,  the  Catechism  was  repeated 
by  the  children  to  the  Minister,  and  applicants  for  membership  were 
required  to  give  their  religious  experience  before  the  congregation. 

Time  will  allow  me  only  to  touch  some  historical  points  to  treat  the 
occasion  with  becoming  consistency.  As  I  have  addressed  you  before 
in  connection  with  the  two  hundredth  anniversary  on  this  historical  line, 
and  adverted  to  the  outlines  of  our  early  history,  and  especially  that  of 
the  church  and  pastors,  as  indicated  in  part  by  Rev.  Dr.  Azel  Roe,  there 
is  the  less  necessity  for  it  now.     Only  two  or  three  points  I  may  recall. 

This  church  has  existed  as  a  distinctively  Presbyterian  Church  since 

i3 


1707,  but  we  commemorate  the  history  of  organized  church  life  on  this 
spot  for  225  years.  From  the  nature  of  the  case  the  church  form  was 
Colonial  and  Independent  at  the  first.  We  confine  ourselves  mostly  in 
this  celebration  to  the  last  hundred  years,  the  lifetime  of  the  present 
church  edifice.  It  was  built  in  1803,  near  the  close  of  the  ministry  of 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Roe,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  and  venerable  of  its 
pastors.  The  Hon.  Joseph  Bloomfield,  a  son  of  the  church,  being  a  son 
of  Dr.  Moses  Bloomfield,  one  of  our  venerated  Elders,  was  the  Governor 
of  the  State  of  New  Jersey  at  that  time.  On  the  27th  of  May,  1675,  the 
first  church  edifice  of  which  we  can  gain  any  definite  account  was  erected, 
standing  nearly  on  the  same  spot,  and  which  stood   128  years.      One  of 


REV.     AZEL     ROE,     D.D. 

our  oldest  living  members  informs  us  that  Jonathan  Freeman,  the  father 
of  Dr.  Ellis  Freeman  and  great-great-grandfather  of  my  wife,  was  the 
architect  of  the  church  building,  and  that  he  looked  in  vain  among  other 
church  edifices  of  the  time  for  something  that  suited  him  as  a  model, 
hence  its  design  differs  from  most  others  of  the  period.  A  description 
given  by  Rev.  Dr.  Steele,  of  the  Old  Dutch  Church,  of  New  Brunswick, 
is  probably  a  fair  representation  of  the  average  church  building  of  that 
early  day.  "A  building,"  he  says,  "  nearly  square.  At  one  side  a 
long  pew  for  the  accommodation  of  the  public  officers  of  the  place,  and 
on  the  other,  similar  pews  running  parallel  with  the  walls,  which  it  is 
said,  were  much  sought  after,  as  one  eye  could  be  directed  toward  the 


14 


minister,  and  the  other  to  anything  that  might  require  attention  in  the 
other  part  of  the  house.' '  Far  off,  and  up  in  a  circular  pulpit,  supported 
by  a  pedestal,  was  the  minister,  beneath  the  old-time-honored  sounding- 
board.  Two  pillars  support  the  roof  from  the  centre,  which  went  up  on 
four  sides,  ending  in  a  small  steeple.  The  Sexton  in  ringing  the  bell, 
stood  in  the  middle  aisle,  winding  the  rope  during  the  service  around 
one  of  the  pillars.  The  church  was  never  desecrated  with  stoves,  but  in 
the  midst  of  Winter,  the  good  people  kept  up  what  heat  they  could  by 
an  occasional  stamp  on  the  floor,  and  tradition  says,  the  "Dominie 
would  keep  warm  by  an  extra  amount  of  gesture. ' ' 

This  description  would  hardly  be  perfect  without  a  reference  to  the 
long  handled  boxes  by  which  the  collections  were  wont  to  be  taken  in 
the  old  churches,  and  which  I  have  seen  myself.  These  were  replaced 
in  this  church  some  years  ago  by  plates  donated  by  Mrs.  Eliza  Harriott 
and  then  again  substituted  by  our  present  plates  made  from  a  beam  of 
the  former  church  timber  removed  to  give  place  to  the  organ. 

In  the  construction  of  the  earlier  of  our  two  buildings  they  ' '  made 
haste  slowly."  After  its  erection  in  1675  there  seems  to  have  been  a 
cessation  of  internal  improvements  for  about  five  years,  then  the  floor 
was  laid  and  some  plastering  done.  In  '  97  "  the  galleries  were  finished. ' ' 
In  '98  "  the  walls  of  the  building  were  to  be  whitewashed  by  John  Pike, 
Member  of  Assembly  and  Clerk  of  the  Corporation."  Ezekiel  Bloomfield 
wras  also  to  build  a  "new  pulpit  forthwith.  He  was  an  Ex- Assemblyman 
and  a  little  later  Keeper  of  the  Pound' '  So  that  public  officers  seemed  to 
be  more  practical  and  comprehensive  in  those  days  than  now,  and 
"  public  functionaries  "  did  not  consider  that  any  honorable  employ- 
ment, however  humble,  and  especially  in  the  interests  of  the  church, 
would  compromise  their  dignity.  In  contrast  with  this,  as  Dr.  Roe 
tells  us,  the  new  building  (the  present  one)  was  undertaken  ' '  with 
great  unanimity  and  spirit,"  and  that  "it  was  almost  finished  by  the 
Fall,  so  that  it  was  opened  and  consecrated  by  the  beginning  of  Decem- 
ber" of  1803.  They  describe  it  as  "a  very  decent  and  convenient 
house,  sufficiently  large  and  spacious."  This  is  the  beautiful  structure 
in  which  it  has  been  our  privilege  these  many  years  to  worship.  We 
nearly  all  remember  it,  I  am  sure,  as  it  stood  out  25  years  ago  in  its 
plainness  and  simplicity  and  whiteness  so  firmly  and  substantially  con- 
structed. A  very  expressive  image  in  these  very  epithets  of  the  character 
for  the  most  part  of  those  who  originally  erected  and  worshiped  in  it. 
The  external  shingling  is  suggestive  of  its  antiquity.  Within  and  with- 
out it  has  been  reconstructed  to  bring  it  into  sympathy  with  modern 
ideas  and  tastes  until  it  stands  as  a  gem  of  beauty  of  which  none  of  us 
need  be  ashamed.      As  its  earlier  form  embodied  somewhat  strikingly 

15 


the  character  of  its  worshipers,  is  it  true  to-day  that  its  remodeled 
beauty  is  also  suggestive  of  "  the  beauties  of  holiness  "  by  which  its 
present  worshipers  are  distinguished  ?  It  ought  to  be  so,  and  I  leave 
the  question  with  each  individual  member  to  answer. 

While  in  the  honorable  list  of  subscribers  to  the  new  building,  as 
given  us  by  Mr.  Dally,  there  appears  no  female  names,  perhaps  it  is  to 
be  attributed  to  the  same  reason  already  suggested  for  women  taking  no 
part  in  church  worship  in  those  early  days ;  but  I  apprehend  the  true 
story  of  the  case  would  reveal  the  fact  that  womens'  fingers  were  just  as 
deft  in  those  da}\s,  and  womens'  hearts  and  brains  were  just  as  warm  and 
active,  as  ever  they  were  in  the  days  of  the  Tabernacle  and  Temple  in 
constructing  their  elegant  tapestries,  or  as  they  are  to-day  in  every  line 
of  Christian  work.  The  men,  among  the  founders  of  this  church,  were 
men  of  sterling  mould,  representing  the  best  families  of  our  community, 
and  many  of  whom  are  still  among  us  to-day.  The  officers  of  the  church 
who  were  largely  among  its  founders  and  builders — its  Boards  of  Trus- 
tees and  Deacons  as  well  as  Elders — were  evidently  men,  who  were  not 
only  to  be  trusted,  but  who  loved  to  spend  and  be  spent  in  her  service. 
Many  of  you  are  familiar  with  the  names  of  the  worthy  and  efficient 
Pastors  who  succeeded  Rev.  Dr.  Azel  Roe  and  filled  up  most  of  the  century. 
Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Mills,  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  B.  Barton,  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Martin 
and  Rev.  Geo.  C.  Lucas.  As  there  will  be  separate  papers  on  Thursday 
evening,  on  the  Pastors  Elders  and  founders,  I  barely  mention  them  in 
this  connection.  Men  they  were — all  of  them — of  piety  and  parts, 
whom  God  owned  and  blessed  in  their  work.  Did  time  permit,  it  would 
be  exceedingly  instructive  as  a  study  of  Providences  to  advert  to  the 
agitations  going  on  in  other  lands  than  our  own  about  the  period  of 
which  this  history  begins — great  moral  eruptions,  which  were  forcing 
some  of  the  best  classes  of  their  inhabitants  to  seek  for  themselves,  new 
lands  and  new  homes,  where  they  could  enjoy  free  opinions  and  freedom 
of  conscience  in  religious  worship,  both  for  themselves  and  for  their 
children.  In  France  that  fermentation  was  going  on  which  resulted  ulti- 
mately in  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  which  had  been  the 
great  charter  of  the  religious  hopes  of  the  refined  and  noble  Huguenots. 
Tyranny  in  Old  England  led  many  of  her  best  sons  not  only  to  look  wist- 
fully toward  New  England,  but  to  emigrate  thither.  Then,  too,  the  spirit 
of  adventure  actuated  numbers  of  the  more  excellent  and  educated 
classes  of  those  other  countries,  such  as  Holland,  which  had  long  been 
living  under  the  noontide  of  gospel  civilization.  Many  of  them  were  at 
this  time  drawn  to  this  land,  and  attracted  to  this  part  of  the  country, 
especially  about  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century.      Providence  thus 


16 


kindly  and  remarkable  prepared  an  ancestry  for  yon,  to  whose  hands 
could  safely  be  consigned  the  ark  both  of  civil  and  religious  liberty. 

A  Sweedish  botanical  traveller  who  passed  through  Woodbridge 
tells  us  in  his  diary  how  it  appeared  in  1748  :  "Woodbridge  is  a  small 
village  in  a  plain,  consisting  of  a  few  houses  ;  we  stopped  here  to  rest 
our  horses  a  little.  The  houses  were  most  of  them  built  of  boards  ;  the 
walls  had  a  covering  of  shingles  on  the  outside ;  these  shingles  were 
round  at  one  end  and  all  of  a  length  in  each  row ;  some  of  the  houses 
had  an  Italian  roof,  but  the  greatest  part  had  roofs  with  pediments ; 
most  of  them  were  covered  with  shingles.  In  most  places  we  met  with 
wells,  and  buckets  to  draw  up  the  water.' '  Mr.  Dally  remarks  upon 
this  that  it  is  evident  "the  houses  of  that  time  were  well  built,  and 
rather  fashionable." 

There  are  many  facts  in  the  history  of  this  old  village  that  deserve  to 
be  embalmed  in  the  memories  of  the  lovers  of  literature  and  patriotism,  as 
well  as  religion.  The  first  printing  press  established  in  New  Jersey 
was  operated  in  our  village  by  James  Parker,  who  was  also  editor  of 
the  second  newspaper  ever  published  in  New  York  City,  called  The 
Post  Boy.  The  first  magazine  published  in  the  State  was  printed  here, 
called  the  New  American  Magazine.  One  other  thing  is  a  fact  as 
recorded  in  state  history  which  may  not  be  regarded  as  so  commendable 
or  creditable,  is  the  fact  that  the  first  tavern  in  the  State  was  established 
in  Woodbridge — yet  let  us  remember  that  that  institution  of  the  early  day 
was  very  different  in  purpose  and  equipment  from  the  saloon  of  to-day. 
Its  primary  purpose  was  hospitality  and  an  absolute  necessity  for  public 
accommodation,  though  the  pity  is  that  then  even  more  than  now  intoxi- 
cants should  be  regarded  as  necessary  to  comfort. 

You  add  to  this  that  the  cause  of  liberty  during  the  Revolution 
had  no  nobler  defenders  and  martyrs  than  were  some  of  our  citizens,  and 
the  worthy  Pastor  Roe ;  and  you  put  a  crown  on  the  brow  of  the  place 
both  civil  literary,  patriotic  and  religious,  beneath  which  she  need  never 
blush  ;  and,  I  wonder  not,  that  many  a  one  in  those  days  should  solilo- 
quize under  the  impluse  of  most  pleasing  associations  : 

' '  Here  where  these  low,  lush  meadows  lie, 
We  wandered  in  the  Autumn  weather, 
When  earth  and  air  and  arching  sky 
Blazed  grandly,  goldenly  together. 

' '  And  oft  in  that  same  Autumn  time, 

We  sought  and  roamed  these  self-same  meadows, 
When  evening  brought  the  curfew  chime, 
And  peopled  field  and  fold  with  shadows. 

17 


Have  you  ever  tried  to  picture  the  condition  of  society  and  the  world 
two  centuries  and  a  quarter  ago  in  comparison  with  the  present  ?  The 
house  of  that  period,  in  most  respects,  in  striking  contrast  with  the 
majority  of  those  of  the  present  day.  So  with  the  dress,  a  la  mode,  it 
may  be  on  the  part  of  the  mistress  of  the  home,  but  in  its  home-spun 
plainness  and  simplicity,  what  a  mode.  Pass  into  the  parlor,  so-called 
now,  if  you  can  find  it  then,  and  you  will  find  no  daguerreotype  and 
much  less  a  photograph.  A  rude  water- color  here  and  there,  perhaps, 
on  the  wall,  but  nothing  of  that  even  with  the  humbler  people.  When 
age  or  accident  attacked  the  teeth,  no  possibility  of  a  dental  supply;  no 
sewing  machine  to  lighten  domestic  labor  ;  no  sign  of  a  carpet  upon  any 
floor  other  than  that  constructed  of  rags,  and  then  only  among  the  so- 
called  ' '  wealthy  ;"  no  stove  in  the  kitchen  or  parlor  ;  no  coal  to  burn 
in  it,  and  no  match  to  start  a  fire  on  the  hearth.  The  rudest  possible 
household  utensils,  little  crockery,  no  forks  and  a  few  metal  plates  and 
dishes ;  no  magazines  or  newspapers  to  be  seen ;  no  established  postal 
facilities;  letters  entrusted  from  hand  to  hand  and  at  great  intervals. 
The  flint-lock  musket  for  arms,  the  spinning-wheel  for  industry,  and  the 
stage-coach  for  travel,  marked  the  bounderies  of  general  progress  and 
attainment.  There  was  music  in  the  home  doubtless  often,  but  it  was 
of  the  simplest  order  and  came  not  from  piano,  melodeon  or  organ,  but 
only  a  kind  of  spinet,  and  if  "  a  fiddle  ' '  was  sounded  it  was  the  kind 
made  of  "cornstalks."  When  the  Sabbath  Day  came  the  only  method 
of  warmth  in  the  church  was  the  foot-stove,  carefully  prepared  and 
carried  back  and  forth.  Their  hearts  were  never  stirred  in  the  sanctuary 
by  those  hymns  so  familiar  and  sacred  to  our  hearts :  "  My  faith  looks 
up  to  Thee,"  "  Nearer  My  God  to  Thee,"  "Jesus,  lover  of  my  Soul," 
"Rock  of  Ages,"  and  a  hundred  others  like  them.  When  the  funeral 
occurred  no  undertaker  was  obtainable  of  skill  and  experience.  Kind 
neighbors,  necessarily  awkward  and  unskilled,  ministered  with  trem- 
bling hands  as  best  they  might  in  the  solemn  service. 

If  just  this  little  reminiscent  sketch  of  the  deprivations,  as  we  esteem 
them,  of  that  early  time,  in  striking  contrast  with  our  own  advantages, 
and  touching  only  the  simplest  every -day  things  of  life  and  society,  if 
this  shall  lead  us  to  appreciate  our  advanced  position  and  increased  re- 
sponsibilities more  highly,  the  end  of  the  reference  will  be  sufficiently 
answered.  Just  here  I  am  reminded  how  fond  we  are  of  saying,  ' '  Ours 
is  a  Progressive  Age,"  and  that  is  true  beyond  all  question.  "It  is  a 
great  way,"  as  one  has  said,  "between  Watt's  tea  kettle  and  the  Bald- 
win locomotive,  a  great  way  from  Franklyn'skite  to  Edison's  dynamos." 
"  Old  things  have  passed  away"  in  a  wonderful  and  generous  sense, 
1 '  and  behold  all  things  have  become  new, ' '  and  in  the  great  body  of 

18 


this  change  we  are  to  rejoice,  though  we  are  to  remember  also  that  all 
change  is  not  necessarily  progress.  A  danger  of  this  disposition  shows 
itself  in  some  respects  in  the  realm  of  religion.  God  forbid  that  we 
should  refuse  to  welcome  new  truth  or  new  phases  of  great  central  truths 
from  new  light  cast  upon  the  scriptures.  But  by  the  same  token  God 
forbid  we  should  part  with  the  old  without  just  reason.  Let  us  sing 
with  all  our  hearts  : 

"  Ring  out  the  old, 
Ring  in  the  new." 

And  with  all  our  hearts  let  us  add  : 

' '  Ring  out  the  false, 
Ring  in  the  true." 

We  should  be  wiser  than  our  fathers  about  the  great  rarities  of 
religion,  but  we  are  to  give  good  heed  at  the  same  time  to  the  divine 
direction  to  his  chosen  people:  "Remove  not  the  ancient  landmarks, 
which  thy  fathers  have  set."  An  incident  is  related  of  William  of 
•Orange,  when  he  was  crossing  the  Channel  to  assume  the  English 
Crown.  He  was  deeply  oppressed  by  a  sense  of  his  responsibility. 
The  night  was  foggy,  and  as  he  paced  the  deck  of  the  vessel,  he  heard 
the  Captain  calling  out  ever  and  anon  to  the  man  at  the  wheel,  ' '  steady ! 
steady ! ' '  and  that,  he  adopted  as  his  watchword  in  after  years  of  royal 
administration.  It  is  a  good  watchword  for  all  in  the  religious  world. 
We  should  ever  hear  above  all  the  roar  of  controversial  waves  the  reas- 
suring voice  of  the  great  Captain  of  our  salvation,  "saying  to  us, 
"  steady  !  steady  !  "  as  we  sail  over  the  sea  of  life.  The  very  antiquity 
of  this  organization  and  this  venerable  house  of  worship  itself,  appeals 
to  our  tenderest  instincts  and  associations  as  only  an  old  home  can  do, 
and  so  the  soliloquy  of  the  Poet  is  not  misplaced  upon  our  lips  : 

' '  Oh,  the  old  house  at  home  where  my  forefathers  dwelt, 
Where  a  child,  at  the  feet  of  my  mother  I  knelt, 
Where  she  taught  me  the  prayer,  where  she  read  me  the  page, 
Which,  if  infancy  lisps,  is  the  solace  of  age  ; 
My  heart  'mid  all  changes,  wherever  I  roam, 
Ne'er  loses  its  love  for  the  old  house  at  home. 

* '  It  was  not  for  its  splendor  that  dwelling  was  dear, 
It  was  not  that  the  gay  and  the  noble  were  near ; 
O'er  the  porch  the  wild  rose  and  the  woodbine  entwined, 
And  the  sweet  scented  jessamine  waved  in  the  wind  ; 
But  dearer  to  me  than  proud  turret  or  dome, 
Were  the  halls  of  my  fathers,  the  old  house  at  home. ' ' 

19 


As  among  the  antiquities  of  the  church  it  is  a'  matter  of  interest  to 
mention  that  the  oldest  communion  service  still  in  our  keeping  was  used 
during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Dr.  Roe,  and  our  present  Baptisimal  Bowl 
was  donated  by  Mrs  Campyon  Cutter,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Harriet  Patton. 
It  is  further  an  interesting  fact  which  came  to  my  notice  very  recently, 
that  the  bell  used  on  the  building  preceeding  this  to  summon  the  wor- 
shipers to  the  House  of  God,  is  in  the  posession  of  Col.  Blanchard 
Edgar,  an  heir-loom  from  his  father  and  grandfather,  and  which  fell  to 
their  lot  by  some  means  when  the  old  church  was  taken  down.  It  is  a 
sweet-toned  brass  bell,  of  about  250  pounds  weight,  fitted  up  with\some 
English  armorial  hangings. 


REV.     HENRY     MILLS,     D.D. 

The  happiness  and  profit  of  church  services  are  often  more  thorougly 
made  or  marred  by  a  Sexton's  part  in  them  than  is  generally  realized. 
Cleanliness  and  light  and  heat  and  ventilation  are  closely  related  to 
church  life,  and  they  are  necessarily  closely  related  to  the  Sexton.  It 
is  as  difficult  for  the  best  of  sextons  to  please  every  one — as  it  is  for  the 
best  of  preachers  or  pastors — but  our  church  in  the  main  in  its  long  his- 
tory has  been  favored  with  efficient  men  in  that  office,  and  they  gener- 
ally held  the  position  for  long  periods,  both  to  the  credit  of  the  people 
and  the  office.  We  are  fortunate  now,  not  only  in  having  the  right  man, 
Mr.  Scott,  in  the  right  place,  as  both  the  order  and  attractiveness  of  the 


20 


Sanctuary,  and  the  beautiful  old  cemetery,  testify — but  pleasant  names 
occur  to  many  memories  in  the  past  in  that  connection  as  Cook  and 
Evans  and  Levi.  We  are  glad  to  be  able  to  make  recognition  of  the 
services,  especially  of  the  wife  of  the  latter  in  her  age  and  widowhood, 
and  possible  departure  from  among  us  ;  and  we  will  ever  think  kindly 
of  her  in  her  familiarity  with  the  headstones  out  in  yonder  old  grave 
yard,  and  tender  offices  rendered  to  many  of  our  beloved  dead.  Let  us 
appreciate  our  Sextons,  past  and  present,  and  their  worthy  wives,  who- 
ever lent  them  a  helping  hand. 

Pleasant  reminiscences  are  connected  with  the  leaders  of  our  melody 
in  the  old  Sanctuary.  Their  characters  tarry  with  us  mellowed  by  the 
atmosphere  of  sweet  song,  the}*  were  wont  to  create — only  a  few  names, 
can  be  definitely  recalled  in  that  connection,  Mr.  Gage  Inslee,  who  held 
the  position  with  his  tuning  fork,  under  the  high  old  pulpit  for  30  years; 
Mr.  T.  Harvey  Morris,  and  Mr.  James  Edgar,  all  whose  free  terms  of 
service  lasted  through  a  series  of  years— supported  through  the  years 
by  willing  voices  the  most  of  whom  are  silent  now,  or  rather  singing 
on  as  we  hope,  stronger  and  sweeter  than  ever  in  the  choir  above. 
Most  fingers  are  quiet  now  that  manipulated  our  instruments  of  other 
days.  Among  these  we  think  of  Mrs.  James  Brown,  and  of  the  living, 
Miss  Phoebe  Freeman,  Mrs.  Samuel  Potter  and  George  Laslett.  It  is 
a  matter  of  interest  that  Mr.  Thos.  Barron  presented  to  the  church  its 
first  musical  instrument,  a  melodeon,  to  supercede  the  old  tuning  fork. 
We  do  not  forget  the  quartette  who  served  us  so  efficiently  and  attract- 
tively  for  a  time,  nor  the  later  services  of  Mrs.  Demarest,  all  whose 
voices  still  echo  back  upon  us,  even  in  the  passage  of  years,  with  pecul- 
iar sweetness  of  melody. 

This  old  church  has  been  the  tap-root  from  which  a  number  of 
other  churches  have  sprung,  and  gone  forward  upon  their  own  flourish- 
ing way,  bearing  blossoms  and  fruit  to  the  praise  of  the  common  Mas- 
ter. It  is  not  within  our  present  scope,  to  give  the  history  of  these,  but 
simply  refer  to  them  and  bid  them  God-speed  on  their  brotherly  way  in 
company  with  ourselves— the  Episcopal  Church  had  its  origin  from  ours 
in  171 1  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  Wade  in  connection 
probably  with  the  assumption  a  little  before  of  the  distinctively  Presby- 
terian form  of  church  government. 

For  about  twenty-five  years,  the  church  of  Metuchen  was  a  pleas- 
ant yoke- fellow  with  this  one  under  the  efficient  pastorate  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Roe.  In  1893,  the  time  came  in  the  judgment  of  the  Presbytery,  of 
New  York,  to  send  it  out  on  its  own  separate  and  shining  way,  and  its 
continued  success  ever  since  has  been  matter  for  profound  congratu- 
lation. 


21 


Most  of  us  are  familiar  with  the  origin  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  of  this  place,  as  related  to  our  own,  within  the  last  twenty-five 
years  and  it  is  one  of  the  pleasant  things  to  be  recorded  that  we  have 
lived  in  brotherly  fellowship  with  each  other  during  our  brief  co-ordinate 
history. 

On  the  other  side,  like  the  pride  of  a  parent  in  the  developement  of 
a  promising  child,  we  have  watched  during  these  recent  years  with 
peculiar  pleasure  the  planting  and  growth  of  the  little  vine  of  Carteret. 
Housed  in  their  beautiful  little  Sanctuary  we  believe  there  are  years  of 
great  promise  and  usefulness  before  them,  and  we  pray,  that  more  and 
more  luscious  clusters  may  hang  upon  their  boughs,  under  the  blessings 
of  Almighty  God. 

I  should  call  special  attention,  as  it  deserves,  to  the  womens'  promi- 
nent part  in  the  long  history  of  the  church,  were  it  not  that  that  sub- 
ject will  be  adequately  treated  in  a  separate  paper  on  Thursday  even- 
ing. Suffice  it  to  say,  though  it  would  go  without  saying,  they  have 
ever  been  faithful  and  true  to  the  Church' s  best  interests,  both  in  material 
and  spiritual  things.  Many  an  emergency  was  bridged  by  their  faith, 
ingenuity  and  courage,  as  well  as  by  their  indefatigable  industry  with 
skillful  fingers.  A  striking  instance  of  female  faith  and  courage,  in  the 
early  history  of  the  place,  is  furnished  by  Mr.  Dally,  and  I  quote  also 
as  showing  the  value  put  upon  the  divine  word  in  "the  days  that  tried 
men's  souls."  "  Smith  and  Timothy  Bloomfield  wTere  both  away  in  the 
Continental  Army,  and  the  old  homestead  and  farm  were  open  to  the 
ravages  of  the  predatory  raids  of  the  enemy.  Among  other  things 
stolen  were  the  old  family  bible  and  a  brindle  cow.  The  precious  book 
could  not  be  readily  given  up.  It  was  the  comfort  of  the  pious  house- 
hold during  the  long  absence  of  the  men  and  the  perils  of  the  times ;  to 
be  deprived  of  its  comfort  in  their  hours  of  anxious  watching  and  terrible 
strain  was  a  prospect  too  melancholy  to  contemplate.  But  what  could 
be  done.  Bibles  were  few  and  costly  in  those  days,  and  the  poverty 
which  came  through  the  fortunes  of  war  deprived  them  of  the  means  of 
replacing  the  jewel.  Eunice,  the  daughter  of  Timothy  Bloomfield,  con- 
cluded at  length  to  appeal  to  the  British  Commander  on  Staten  Island 
for  the  restoration  of  the  priceless  volume.  In  company  with  another 
girl,  residing  in  the  family,  Eunice  started  from  home,  walking  to  the 
river.  It  was  a  brave  deed  for  lawless  bands  were  abroad.  Doubtless 
the  God  whom  they  honored  by  seeking  for  his  word  sent  his  angels  to 
guard  them  in  their  dangerous  way.  Reaching  the  shore  they  were 
non-plussed.  How  should  they  reach  the  other  side  ?  Not  far  off  they 
espied  an  old  scow.  Pushing  it  into  the  water  they  paddled  across, 
objects  of  much  curiosity  to  groups  of  red-coated  soldiers  on  the  island. 

22 


With  deference  the  guard  on  the  bank  assisted  them  in  debarking  and 
enquired  their  business.  Desiring  to  see  the  officer  in  command,  very 
courteously  he  conducted  them  to  headquarters.  The  Commander  re- 
ceived the  young  women  with  affability,  and  listened  to  their  story,  as 
they  earnestly  pleaded  for  the  old  bible.  They  saw  the  tears  gathering 
in  the  officers  eyes,  and  felt  sure  their  suit  was  won.  So  indeed  it  was. 
He  sent  to  the  ship,  riding  at  anchor,  some  distance  from  the  shore,  to 
which  the  volume  had  been  carried.  It  was  speedily  brought  and 
placed  in  the  young  woman' s  hands.  Gratefully,  they  were  about  to 
return  homeward,  when  the  Commander  kindly  inquired  if  anything 
else  of  value  had  been  taken  from  them.  They  replied  that  a  brindle 
cow  had  been  also  driven  away  by  his  men.  In  adjoining  fields  large 
droves  were  feeding.  Leading  his  guests  to  these,  he  pointed  toward 
the  cattle  and  asked  if  they  recognized  their  cow.  A  long  scrutiny 
failed  to  discover  the  domestic  favorite.  As  they  were  about  to  give  up 
the  search,  the  brindle  herself  came  bounding  toward  them  with  every 
demonstration  of  pleasure,  and  placed  herself  in  a  satisfied  way,  close 
beside  Eunice,  as  much  as  to  say  :  ' '  Come,  it  is  milking  time  ! ' '  The 
officer  smiled  and  declared  there  could  be  no  doubt  of  the  original  own- 
ership of  the  cow.  A  guard  of  soldiers  escorted  the  girls  across  the 
water  with  their  regained  treasures,  and  accompanied  them  for  a  con- 
siderable distance  toward  home,  at  which  they  arrived  with  hearts  over- 
flowing with  thankfulness.  Who  can  adequately  describe  the  feelings 
with  which  they  ' '  opened  the  old  bible  again  that  night  ? ' ' 

The  Century,  let  me  say  in  closing,  during  which  this  Church  build- 
ing has  held  its  place  marks  the  grandest  era  in  the  Church' s  history 
since  the  Apostolic  Century.  We  are  impressed  with  this  the  more  as 
we  stand  consciously  on  the  border  line  of  the  twentieth  centry.  Ten- 
nyson gave  us  the  keynote  of  the  nineteenth  century  in  saying : 

"  The  old  order  changeth,  and  yieldeth  place  to  new.  And  God 
fulfills  himself  in  many  ways,  lest  one  good  custom  should  corrupt  the 
world  "  The  seal  of  the  first  Colonies  bore  the  figure  of  an  Indian 
encircled  with  the  legend  of  the  Macedonian  cry,  and  Christian  progress 
and  civilization  have  marked  the  track  of  the  closing  century  in  a  mis- 
sionary activity  never  seen  before  since  the  first  one.  Henry  Drum- 
mond  somewhere  strikingly  says  :  "  Next  to  love  for  the  chiefest  of 
sinners,  the  most  touching  thing  about  the  religion  of  Christ  is  its  amaz- 
ing trust  in  the  least  of  Saints.  Here  is  the  mightiest  enterprising  ever 
launched  upon  this  earth,  mightier  than  creation,  because  it  is  recrea- 
tion, and  the  carrying  it  out  is  left,  so  to  speak,  to  haphazard,  to  indi- 
vidual loyalty,  to  free  enthusiasms,  to  uncoerced  activities,  to  an  uncom- 
pelled  response  to  the  pressures  of  God's  Spirit. "     It  was  reserved  con- 

23 


sequently  for  our  century  to  discover  the  true  meaning  of  the  great  last 
declaration  of  the  world's  Saviour,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  The  glorious  Missionary  adventure  we 
appropriately  remember  to-day  is  contemporary  with  the  history  of  this 
old  building  and  far  younger  than  the  limits  of  this  church  organization 
— but  day- break  is  over  all  the  hills  of  the  world  at  length  though  it 
has  been  slough-footed,  and  "we  therein  do  rejoice — yea,  and  will  re- 
joice.'' "  There  are  living  men,"  as  one  has  eloquently  said,  "who 
saw  the  Missionary  child  in  the  cradle.  The  dew  of  youth  is  still  on  its 
brow.  Standing  at  the  gateway  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  church  did 
in  very  truth  '  face  a  frowning  world.'  '  It  was  the  heyday  of  a  boast- 
ful infidelity.  The  horizon  was  blazing  with  the  camp  fires  of  her 
enemies.  The  air  rang  with  pred;ctions  of  the  speedy  disappearance  of 
Christianity  from  the  earth.  In  that  day  Thomas  Paine,  who,  as  one 
has  truly  said,  resembled  "a  mouse  nibbling  at  the  plumage  of  an 
Archangel,"  was  picking  flaws  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  heralding 
the  dawn  of  the  ' '  Age  of  Reason. ' '  Hume  was  tasking  his  rarely  gifted 
intellectuality  to  demonstrate  the  impossibility  of  the  supernatural. 
Gibbon  was  expending  the  stores  of  a  richly  furnished  brain  the  effort  to 
explain  the  triumph  of  Christianity  without  the  assistance  of  God. 
Voltaire  was  snickering  at  everything  that  brought  help  or  hope  into  a 
sinning  and  sorrowful  world.  It  was  an  era  aptly  stiled  the  Pentecost 
of  unbelitf.  But  the  Age  of  Reason  proved  an  age  of  terror.  The 
rights  of  man  could  not  be  vindicated  when  the  rights  of  God  were 
scouted;  when  the  cross  went  down  the  guillotine  went  up.  Prayer 
and  praise  in  the  name  of  Christ  were  replaced  by  the  orgies  of  a 
Witches'  Sabbath.  The  melenium  of  infidelity  was  a  festival  of  iniquity. ' ' 
At  such  an  hour  and  amid  such  darkness  and  storm  modern  Missions 
commenced  its  triumphal  career,  which  has  culminated  at  length  in  the 
grandest  Ecumenical  Missionary  Conference  in  the  metropolis  of  this 
Western  Continent,  the  world  has  ever  seen,  and  the  outcome  of  which, 
as  we  believe,  is  destined  to  be  grander  than  its  retrospect.  Amid  such 
scenes  transpiring  on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean  the  foundations  of  this 
old  church  were  laid  by  our  fathers,  and  we  enteitain  the  glad  hope  of 
something  grander  for  its  history  in  the  coming  time  than  has  been 
reached  in  the  time  past. 


The  fathers  sleep,  but  men  remain 
As  true  and  wise  and  brave  as  they ; 

Why  count  the  loss  without  the  gain  ? 
The  best  is  that  we  have  to-day.' ' 


24 


"  No  lack  was  in  thy  primal  stock, 

No  weakling  founders  builded  here  ; 
There  were  the  men  of  Plymouth  Rock  ; 
The  Puritan  and  Cavalier." 

1 '  And  they  whose  firm  endurance  gained 
The  freedom  of  the  souls  of  men, 
Whose  hands  unstained  in  peace  maintained 
The  swordless  commonwealth  of  Penn." 

1 '  With  peace  that  comes  of  purity, 
And  strength  to  simple  justice  due, 
So  owes  our  loyal  dream  of  thee, 
God  of  our  fathers !   make  it  true. ' ' 

I  have  read  of  an  old  Roman  soldier,  scarred  and  crippled  with 
veteran  service,  who,  hearing  one  day,  over  the  hills  the  distant  sounds  of 
battle  so  familiar  to  his  ear,  buckled  on  his  sword  again  and  with 
stumbling  steps  struggled  toward  the  field,  praying  the  gods  at  every 
step  that  he  might  mingle  with  the  fray  once  more.  So,  beloved  in 
Christ,  the  great  armageddon  is  being  fought  to-day  in  the  world.  God, 
through  the  centuries,  working  by  his  militant  church,  is  hastening  on 
toward  the  final  and  glorious  consumation.  Let  us  crave  the  honor  of 
fighting  in  the  van,  let  us  endeavor  to  win  the  service  chaplet  of  glory 
by  lending  all  our  powers  to  the  blessed  Master  in  the  interest  of  truth 
and  righteousness.  The  slogan  is  sounding  over  the  hills  of  time  sum- 
moning every  Christian  to  do  his  duty.  And,  so  looking  up  together 
into  the  face  of  our  Father  in  heaven  to-day,  amid  these  tender  reminis- 
cences of  the  long  past  are  we  not  impelled  gratefully  to  exclaim  : 

' '  I  love  thy  church,  O  God, 
Her  walls  before  Thee  stand, 
Dear  as  the  apple  of  thine  eye, 
And  graven  on  thy  hand  ; 
For  her  my  tears  shall  fall, 
For  her  my  prayers  ascend, 
To  her  my  toils  and  cares  be  given, 
Till  toils  and  cares  shall  end." 


25 


RECEPTION  OF  A  NEW  COMMUNION  SERVICE  PRESENTED 
BY  MR.  WM.  H.  CUTLER. 

BY   THE   PASTOR. 

We  are  living  in  an  age  of  progress  and  improvement,  and  these 
relate  to  the  Church  as  well  as  the  State.  Because  a  thing  is  new  does 
not  necessarily  commend  it  as  an  improvement,  but  we  should  look  for 
improvements,  and  be  ready  to  welcome  those  that  are  really  such.  We 
have  seen  discussions  in  the  papers  relating  to  a  new  kind  of  Commun- 
ion Service,  especially  commended  on  principles  of  sanitation.  Our 
Church  has  been  fortunate  in  having  a  thoughtful  and  generous  friend, 
whose  heart  is  in  sympathy  both  with  her  welfare  in  her  advancing 
years,  and  with  the  best  things  of  the  age,  and  comes  forward  to-day, 
on  this  exceedingly  interesting  occasion  and  presents  us  with  superb  and 
beautiful  Silver  Communion  set  of  this  new  order  and  which  we  shall 
have  the  pleasure  of  inaugurating  next  Sabbath  Day.  I  refer  to  Mr. 
Wm.  H.  Cutler,  who  has  favored  us  before  with  evidences  of  his  gene- 
rosity in  giving  us  the  Hymn  Books  we  are  now  using,  and  the  portrait 
of  Rev.  Dr.  Roe,  which  hangs  on  the  face  of  the  gallery.  We  are  glad 
to  count  this  pleasant  act  among  the  memorable  circumstances  about  us 
to-day  connected  with  this  Two  Hundred  and  Twenty-Fifth  Anniversary 
of  the  Church,  as  we  remember  and  class  with  it,  as  part  of  the  Church's 
history,  items  of  his  venerable  father's  generosity,  and  those  of  Mr. 
James  Brown  and  his  son,  and  Mr.  Henry  Morris  and  others,  when  the 
building  was  being  remodeled,  as  connected  with  the  organ  and  the 
chandalier,  the  cushions  and  other  things.  We  recall  all  these  the  more 
readily  to-day  because  they  have  so  pleasantly  woven  themselves  into 
the  warp  and  woof  of  the  Church's  history  and  of  the  building  itself. 

I  am  sure  I  but  represent  this  Church  in  tendering  to  Mr.  Cutler 
her  unanimous  thanks  for  the  bestowment  of  this  beautiful  and  useful 
Communion  Service,  and  I  accept  it,  as  representing  the  Church,  from 
his  hand,  and  may  God  give  us  a  great  blessiug  in  its  use  in  the  com- 
ing years  ! 


26 


REV.  WILLIAM  B.  BARTON. 


27 


THE   OLD   CHURCH. 

BY    WM.    LYLE. 

There  it  stands  with  its  walls  of  gray, 

Mid  tombstones  of  many  years ; 
Could  they  speak,  how  much  the}'  could  say 

Of  mourners  and  lonely  tears. 
How  strange  all  the  questions  they'd  raise, 

If  they  with  life  were  arra}red — 
Where  were  we  in  the  far  off  days 

When  these  foundations  were  laid  ? 

But  a  question  more  grave  meets  us  here, 

And  we  pause  while  we  make  the  quest — 
Where  shall  we  be  when  all  grows  sere, 

And  no  echo  disturbs  the  rest. 
When  the  cold  snows  of  Winter  fall, 

And  levels  those  mounds  we  see, 
When  your  clear  bell  no  more  shall  call, 

Where  shall  we  wanderers  be? 

There's  a  book  in  which  Times'  annals  stand, 

Which  earth- storms  can  never  assail, 
A  writing  produced  by  an  unseen  hand, 

Which  some  day  must  finish  its  tale, 
Then  a  voice  shall  come  from  the  throne 

Piercing  all  listening  ears  ; 
I,  the  Lord,  have  been  looking  on 

At  the  old  Church  all  these  years." 

Bless  the  old  Church,  long  may  it  stand  ! 

Bless' d  its  people  and  Pastor,  too  ! 
A  beacon  of  light  in  the  land, 

And  a  signal  forever  true. 
God  bless  the  old  Church,  is  our  prayer, 

And  when  its  last  chimes  shall  have  toll'd 
May  all  the  dear  names  written  there 

In  the  Saviour's  own  book  be  enrolled. 


28 


REVIEW   OF   THE   SUNDAY-SCHOOL   FOR    EIGHTY-TWO 

YEARS. 

BY  HOWARD  A.   TAPPAN. 

As  birthday  anniversaries  occur  in  a  family  and  children  bring  their 
greetings  and  kindly  expressions  to  their  parents,  so  the  Sunday-school 
to-day  brings  loyal  greeting  and  good-will  to  its  parent  on  this  its  mem- 
orable Two  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth  Birthday.  For  eighty-two  years 
the  Church  has  watched  over  its  child  with  interest,  and  as  our  own 
birthday  is  only  one  month  away  we  have  united  our  celebration  with 
our  parent. 

In  June,  1818,  our  Sunday-school  was  organized  by  three  women — 
Sally  Potter,  Jane  Potter  and  Mrs.  Harriett  Paton,  and  was  one  of  the 
first,  if  not  the  first  Sunday- school,  organized  in  the  State.  It  was 
principally  through  the  effort  of  Miss  Sally  Potter,  a  woman  of  remark- 
able force  and  character,  that  the  school  was  placed  on  its  present  firm 
foundation.  She  realized  the  highly  responsible  charge  that  is  connected 
with  a  Sunday-school  teacher's  work,  the  lasting  impressions  that  are 
formed  in  youth,  and  to  this  work  she  gave  her  thoughts,  her  prayers 
and  her  increasing  efforts  until  she  became  so  enfeebled  by  disease,  as 
to  be  scarcely  able  to  sit  up  during  a  school  session.  At  one  season 
when  the  teachers  were  scattered,  and  there  was  not  as  much  interest 
manifested  as  there  had  been  she  kept  the  school  together  by  her  own 
efforts.  At  another  period  she  organized  and  maintained  a  school  near 
Metuchen  when  it  was  impossible  for  the  children  to  reach  the  main 
school. 

One  of  the  prayers  written  by  her  for  the  infant  class  is,  of  itself,  a 
lasting  memorial  of  her  Christian  character.     It  was  as  follows  : 

Oh,  thou  great  and  Holy  God,  we  pray  thee  to  condescend  to  pour 
out  thy  Holy  Spirit  upon  this  Sabbath-school.  Most  of  us  are  very 
young,  but  we  are  all  old  enough  to  sin,  and  we  all  have  sinned  and 
broken  God's  Holy  law.  Oh,  God,  teach  us  the  evil  of  sin.  May  we 
all  be  sensible  that  when  we  sin,  our  sins  are  committed  against  God, 
the  great  and  Holy  God,  that  made  us.  O,  God,  we  thank  thee  for  the 
precious  Bible  that  tells  us  we  must  repent,  and  have  new  hearts,  or  we 
cannot  go  to  heaven.  O,  Lord,  we  pray  thee  to  teach  us  by  thy  Holy 
Spirit  that  we  may  behold  wondrous  things  out  of  thy  law.  Our  Father 
in  Heaven,  wilt  thou  teach  us  the  way,  and  plan  of  salvation  by  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  wilt  thou  give  us  an  understanding  to  know  Him,  who  is 
the  Way,  the  Truth  and  the  Life.  O,  Lord,  we  pray  for  faith  in  the 
great  Redeemer,  for  without  faith,  we  cannot  please  Thee.  O,  Lord, 
we  thank  Thee,  that  little  children  may    pray  unto   Thee.       We  ask 

29 


for  new  hearts,  that  we  may  pray  aright.  0,  Lord,  wilt  thou  be  pleased 
to  bless  our  dear  parents,  that  they  may  love  Thee,  and  go  to  heaven 
when  they  die.  O,  Lord,  we  pray  Thee  to  bless  our  teachers  and  give 
them  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  they  ma}'  teach  us  to  be  good  and  happy, 
and  may  we  always  remember  the  Sabbath-day  to  keep  it  Holy.  We 
pray  Thee,  O  Lord,  to  pardon  our  sins,  and  bless  our  souls,  for  the  sake 
of  Jesus  Christ.     Amen. 

Miss  Potter  was  only  assisted  by  other  noble  Christian  women,  and 
if  the  roll  could  be  called  of  those  who  have  earnestly  and  faithfully 
labored  for  Christ  in  this  Sunday  school  for  the  past  eighty-tw7o  years — 
eight  out  of  every  ten  who  answered  to  the  call  would  be  women.     They 


MRS.  HARRIET  C.  PATON. 

have  principally  sustained  it  down  to  the  present  time,  and  I  can  bear 
testimony  that  during  the  short  period  of  ten  years  that  I  have  been 
indentified  with  the  school  the}-  are  still  doing  earnest,  loyal,  faithful 
work  in  their  classes  for  Christ's  sake,  and  the  influence  for  good  that 
they  create  cannot  be  estimated. 

Rev.  Wm.  Barton  was  the  next  superintendent,  and  it  was  through 
the  efforts  of  his  wife  that  a  society  of  young  ladies  was  organized,  and 
known  as  the  Sunday-School  Society  ;  their  object  being  to  work  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Sabbath-school.  They  met  afternoons  at  different  houses 
to  sew,  and  the  proceeds  of  their  labor  were  used  to  purchase  the  childs 
paper  for  the  Sunday-school. 

30 


At  one  time  they  raised  and  donated  $25  for  books  for  a  library 
which  has  grown  until  it  now  contains  nearly  600  books  of  the  highest 
grade. 

On  Tuesday  evening,  August  14,  1865,  a  Literary  Society  of  young 
women,  known  as  the  Mnemonic  Society  gave  an  entertainment,  the 
proceeds  of  which  were  used  in  purchasing  a  silk  banner  which  they 
presented  to  the  Sunday-school.     This  banner  is  still  used. 

Here  the  records  were  destroyed  by  fire,  and  it  is  impossible  to 
get  any  accurate  account  of  the  school  until  1876,  from  which  time 
the  records  are  complete.  The  highest  average  attendance  for  a 
year  since  1876  was  118  in  1883;  since  then  the  average  has  been 
about  no. 

Rev.  Mr.  Barton  was  succeeded  by  John  E-  Barron  ;  of  his  superin- 
tendency  we  have  little  record  as  is  the  case  with  his  successor  David  N. 
Demarest.  It  was  during  Mr.  Demarest's  term  of  office  that  the  first 
instrument,  a  melodeon,  given  by  Mr.  Thos.  Barron,  was  used  in  the 
Sabbath  school.  Before  this  the  music  was  started  with  a  tuning-fork. 
It  is  interesting  to  know  that  while  Mr.  Demarest  was  superintendent 
the  school  contributed  toward  the  fitting  out  of  the  Morning  Star,  the 
first  missionary  boat  that  sailed  from  New  York  to  the  Sandwich  Islands. 
Every  scholar  who  gave  ten  cents  or  more,  received  a  certificate  on 
which  was  a  picture  of  the  boat. 

On  the  death  of  Mr.  Demarest,  Mr.  James  P.  Edgar  succeeded  as 
superintendent,  and  under  his  wise  management  the  school  increased  in 
numbers  and  power.  At  the  time  of  his  resignation,  September  7,  1868, 
he  was  presented  with  a  handsome  Bible  by  the  officers  and  teachers  as 
a  token  of  their  deep  esteem. 

Mr.  Henry  A.  Morris  was  the  next  incumbent  ;  he  being  elected  in 
September,  1868,  and  holding  the  office  for  eleven  years.  It  was  during 
his  term  that  the  present  Sunday-school  room  was  built.  Before  this 
the  Sunday-school  room  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  avenue  near  the 
parsonage.  It  was  also  during  Mr.  Morris's  administration  in  1870, 
that  the  first  excursion  to  Asbury  Park  was  undertaken.  At  that  time 
the  venture  was  new  and  the  financial  risk  considerable,  but  it  was 
thoroughly  successful,  and  since  then  the  school  has  spent  many  pleas- 
ant days  at  the  sea  shore. 

In  1879,  Mr-  Jonn  Anderson  was  chosen  superintendent  and  held 
the  office  for  two  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Wm.  Edgar  who 
.served  seven  years,  Mr.  M.  A.  Brown  three  years,  Mr.  T.  H.  Morris 
one.  Mr.  Edgar  two,  H.  A.  Tappen  one,  Mr.  James  Lyle  one,  and  H. 
A.  Tappen  four. 

The  Sunday-school  has  been  self-supporting  for  many  years,  and 

3i 


has  helped  in  every  part  of  the  missionary  field  by  its  contributions  to 
the  different  branches  of  the  church  work. 

For  a  long  period  the  school  has  set  aside  the  collection  taken  en 
the  forth  Sunday  of  each  month,  to  be  given  to  that  branch  of  the  church 
work  designated  by  the  Presbytery.  It  has  also  aided  our  church  in 
times  of  necessity. 

It  has  been  our  custom  of  the  return  of  every  Christmas  tide  to 
observe  the  day  appropriately  by  special  services  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
by  an  evening  through  the  week  when  young  and  old  gather  round  the 
Christmas  Tree  and  give  and  receive  tokens  of  love  and  remembrance 
which  leads  us  to  think  of  the  Christ,  who  is  so  willing  and  anxious  to 
give  us  far  better  gifts  than  we  can  either  ask  or  think. 

It  is  impossible  to  tell  of  the  good  that  has  been  accomplished  in 
the  past  eighty-two  years.  Many  hearts  have  been  given  to  the  Saviour 
through  work  in  the  Sunday-school,  and  many  lives  have  been  strength- 
ened by  the  heart  to  heart  talks  in  the  classes.  There  are  times  when 
we  feel  discouraged  and  disheartened  in  our  work,  but  let  us,  as  we 
cross  the  portal  of  the  eighty-third  year,  remember  that  every  word 
spoken  sincerely  for  Christ,  will  be  blessed. 


OUR  PASTORS. 

BY  T.   HARVEY  MORRIS. 

To  "a  brain  of  feathers  and  a  heart  of  lead"  has  been  assigned  a 
review  of  the  pastors  of  this  church  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  years 
agone.  Like  sentimental  Thomas  the  reviewers  heart  should  be  in  it 
since  his  ancestors  for  three  generations  have  labored  here. 

Some  poet  wrote,  that  "  This  age  thinks  better  of  a  gilded  fool, 
than  of  a  threadbare  saint,  in  wisdom' s  school  " 

We  cannot  agree  with  him,  and  believe  that  all  of  you,  with  me, 
will  do  honor  to  the  memory  of  these  godly  men,  some  of  whom  "  Lived 
in  tempest,  but  died  in  port. ' '  We  must  be  brief,  our  thoughts  are 
quick  as  a  weaver's  shuttle. 

Beginning  the  historic  outline;  the  first  recorded  pastor  of  this 
generation  was  Mr.  Samuel  Treat  who  preached  here  for  six  months  in 
1670.  We  were  not  acquainted  with  him,  but  presume  he  was  strictly 
temperate, — though  his  name  was  treat. 

Benjamin  Salisbury  supplied  the  pulpit  for  three  months  in  1674, 
but  his  preaching  was  not  satisfactory.  Like  the  Salisbury  plains  man 
he  could  thank  God  for  even  small  favors. 

32 


In  1680,  John  Allen  became  the  preacher  of  the  town,  was  very 
popular  and  served  acceptably  for  six  }rears. 

For  three  years  following,  Mr.  Archibald  Riddle,  a  Scotchman, 
was  pastor.  Surely  the  word  of  God  could  not  have  been  to  him  a 
cunningly  devised  fable. 

The  next  undershepherd  was  Samuel  Shepherd.  His  name,  at 
least,  implies  that  he  was  fitted  for  his  position.  He  was  the  minister 
of  the  town  up  to  1708.  Nathaniel  Wade  was  ordained  and  installed  in 
January  of  the  same  year. 

In  1 7 14,  Mr.  John  Pierson  came  from  Connecticut,  and  remained 
forty  years.  From  the  length  of  time  he  remained  here,  he  must  have 
been  very  highly  thought  of.  Possibly  the  noted  Rev.  A.  T.  Pierson 
may  be  one  of  his  descendants. 

Mr.  Nathaniel  Whitaker  was  ordained  as  pastor  on  December  10, 
1755,  and  preached  five  years  when  he  was  dismissed. 

After  he  left  Woodbridge,  Mr.  Azel  Roe  was  invited  to  preach  on 
trial,  was  ordained  and  installed  in  the  fall  of  1763,  and  labored  here 
'till  1 815.     We  picture  him  to  have  been 

"  Like  the  Lord's  prophet  sublime, 

And  awful  as  death  and  judgment 

The  God — commissioned,  the  soul  searcher, 

His  voice  deep  and  low  like  the  thunder  afar  off. ' ' 

Then  in  18 16  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Mills  comes  upon  the  scene,  re- 
maining pastor  'till  1822,  when  he  was  called  to  Auburn  Theological 
Seminary. 

The  same  year  Rev.  Wm  Barton  succeeded  him,  remaining  thirty 
years  and  dying  in  the  harness.  He  and  Dr.  Roe  sleep  in  the  city  of 
the  dead  near  us,  surrounded  by  the  graves  of  those  to  whom  they  min- 
istered in  holy  things.  During  Mr.  Barton's  ministry  there  was  a 
mighty  revival  in  this  old  church,  and  many  were  gathered  into  the 
fold.  We  are  living  in  times  when  they  tell  us  that  only  the  love  of 
God  should  be  preached.  That  is  well  in  its  place.  We  must  remember, 
however,  that  there  has  been  but  one  Dr.  Chalmers ;  one  John  Wesley  ; 
one  Guthrie ;  one  Robertson  ;  one  Spurgeon ;  one  Moody.  These 
mighty  men  declared  the  whole  counsel  of  God  and  lead  many  to  Christ 
because  justice  as  well  as  love  was  their  theme. 

The  year  1852  finds  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Martin  our  pastor.  We  remem- 
ber him  as  an  active,  earnest  man,  whose  life  was  godly  and  whose  end 
was  peace. 

In  1863  a  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  George  C.  Lucas.      He  remained 

33 


with  us  ten  years  He  was  a  fine  sermonizer  and  a  scholarly  man. 
Every  one  of  these  devines  enumerated  have  been  gathered  home, 
reminding  us  that 

1 '  The  Battle  of  our  Life  is  brief, 
The  alarm — the  struggle— the  relief, 
Then  sleep  we  by  their  side. ' ' 


REV.  WILLIAM  M    MARTIN. 

We  are  under  the  leadership  of  our  present  pastor  who  has  been 
with  us  since  1874.  Intellectual,  eloquent,  sympathetic,  a  man  of  lofty 
ideas,  he  needs  no  word  from  me  to  remind  you  of  his  true  worth. 

Thank  God  the  simple  gospel  story  is  still  heard  in  this  hallowed 

place  to-day.     Never  must  it  be,   with  such  a   long   line   of   spiritual 

ancestry  behind  us,  that  sublimated  moonshine  or  the  commandments 

and   traditions  of  men  shall  be  proclaimed  to   satisfy   the  longings  of 

the  immortal  soul      For  the  lives  lived  by   all  oi    these  godly   men 

prove,    that 

"  The  liappincss  of  human  kind, 

Consists — in  rectitude  of  mind, — 

A  7c'/// — subdued  to  reason's  sway, 

And  passions  practised  to  obey; 

An  open — and  a  generous  heart, 

Refind  from  selfishness  and  art; 

Patience  which  nioeks  at  fortunes  power, 

And  wisdom  neither  sad  nor  sour." 


34 


REV.  GEORGE  C.  LUCAS. 


THE   ELDERS   OF   THE    PAST. 

WILLIAM  EDGAR 

The  subject  is  a  broad  one,  and  one  to  which  I  scarcely  feel  able 
to  do  justice.  I  feel  inadequate  to  exalt  the  office  as  it  should  be,  to 
emphasize  its  importance,  and  to  convince  myself  and  others  of  its  great 
responsibility,  and  to  give  the  reason  why  it  is  not  magnified  and  re- 
spected as  it  once  was.  But  this  was  not  contemplated  in  this  brief 
paper. 

I  am  to  speak  of  those  who  bore  the  ark  of  this  ancient  tabernacle 
in  its  earlier  days  ;  the  Aarons  and  Hurs  who  upheld  the  hands  of  God's 
chosen  servants,  who  ministered  to  this  people  in  Spiritual  things. 

I  can  give  but  a  brief  sketch  of  a  few  of  the  men,  and  view  them 
from  their  environments  and  the  activities  which  characterized  their  lives 
in  those  days  that  tried  men' s  souls.  They  were  Christian  citizens,  and  as 
such  we  honor  their  memory.  This  town  was  cradled  in  piety,  its  name 
would  indicate  that,  the  friends  and  admirers  of  Rev.  John  Woodbridge, 
of  Newbury,  Mass.,  conferred  that  honor  from  the  love  and  esteem  in 
which  they  held  their  pastor. 


35 


Among  the  first  things  the  founders  did  was  to  locate  a  site  for  a 
Meeting  House,  and  set  aside  a  tract  of  land  to  be  used  for  the  support 
of  a  Gospel  Ministry,  and  ecclesiastic  matters  received  as  much  attention 
at  the  Annual  Town  Meeting  as  did  taxation  and  kindred  public  affairs, 
and  forty  years  after  when  Church  and  State  were  separated  we  find 
that  the  prominent  men  in  the  settlement  were  chosen  rulers  in  the 
Church.  In  my  efforts  to  obtain  the  necessary  data  I  had  access  to  the 
church  and  town  records,  but  the  bare  facts  only  are  mentioned  and  I  had 
either  to  draw  on  my  imagination  or  resort  to  that  never- failing  source 
of  material  that  the  historian  uses  to  embelish  the  pages  of  his  work 
''family  traditions,"  but  in  this  field  I  was  confronted  with  the  question 
"  art  thou  an  Elder  and  knowest  not  these  things." 

In  yonder  cemetery,  in  mamT  an  unmarked  grave,  "  the  rude  fore- 
fathers of  the  hamlet  sleep."  Samuel  Hale,  John  Pike  and  Noah 
Bishop,  "if  memory  o'er  their  tombs  no  trophies  raise, "  their  names 
should  not  be  forgotten,  for  the  record  reads  the  foundation  of  ye  church 
was  laid  upon  them.  Samuel  Hale  was  one  of  the  original  settlers,  a 
military  officer,  Marshal  of  the  Court  and  Justice  of  the  Peace ;  his  ser- 
vices in  connection  with  the  latter  position  must  have  been  sought  after 
by  those  matrimonially  inclined,  for  the  town  records  contain  many 
entries.  ' '  Married  by  me.  Samuel  Hale,  Justice. ' '  He  was  not  the  only 
justice,  but  there  must  have  been  something  that  attracted  the  young, 
perhaps  his  benignant  countenance  relieved  their  embarrassment  and  his 
smile  and  salutation  was  a  benediction.  We  find  that  he  with  other 
prominent  men  were  entrusted  with  the  solution  of  difficult  problems  in 
those  early  davs  from  which  we  would  infer  that  he  was  a  man  of  sound 
judgment  and  commanded  the  respect  of  his  associates.  His  residence 
was  on  the  south  side  of  Green  Street,  between  the  railroad  and  Central 
Avenue.  He  died  in  1710,  in  his  seventieth  year,  leaving  no  son,  the 
name  became  extinct. 

John  Pike  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  the  original  fifty- 
seven.  He  was  one  of  the  three  signers  to  the  articles  of  agreement  of 
May  21,  1666,  between  Governor  Carteret  for  the  Lord's  proprietors  on 
the  one  hand  and  for  himself  and  associates  on  the  other.  Among  the 
privileges  granted  in  that  agreement,  w7as  liberty  of  conscience  in  relig- 
ious worship,  of  choosing  their  own  minister  and  two  hundred  acres  of 
land  was  to  be  set  apart  for  the  maintenance  of  the  ministry  perpetually. 
Three  years  after  the  township  court  was  established,  and  for  four  years 
he  was  the  chief  justice  or  president,  he  was  commander  of  the  military 
although  net  a  very  large  force,  but  a  very  important  and  necessary 
organization  in  those  days.  He  lived  on  the  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Valentine  farm  and  operated  a  mill  near  Cutter' s  dock.      He  was  a  mem- 

36 


ber  of  the  first  town  committee  which  consisted  of  seven  members.     A 
large  family  of  sons  survived  him,  who  in  their  day  became  illustrious. 

Noah  Bishop  resided  near  Railway,  and  was  the  town  torrester  or 
custodian  of  the  public  timber  lands  in  that  locality,  he  appears  in  con- 
nection with  legal  proceedings  that  were  instituted  against  those  who 
infringed  on  the  public  domain.  The  family  w7ere  influencial  and  were 
identified  with  all  public  matters. 

Thomas  Pike,  the  son  of  John,  was  the  fourth  Town  Clerk,  and 
held  the  office  for  eighteen  years.  He  was  rate-maker  or  assessor  for 
ten  years,  and  like  his  father  represented  the  town  for  a  number  of 
years  in  the  Assembly.  His  prominence  was  not  due  to  his  father's 
popularity  but  to  his  own  ability.  He  with  John  Ford  were  ' '  set  apart ' ' 
as  Elders  in  1710,  and  elected  Deacons  the  same  year.  Ford  was  prob- 
ably the  founder  of  the  family  at  Ford's  Corner.  He  did  not  hold  any 
elective  office,  but  was  prominent  in  ecclesiastic  matters  in  the  stormy 
days  of  Mr.  Wade's  pastorate,  probably  on  account  of  his  discretion  and 
wisdom  ;  pouring  oil  on  the  troubled  waters  meriting  the  blessing  of  the 
peace- makers. 

In  1 717,  Rev.  John  Piersou  became  the  pastor  and  continued  for 
thirty-eight  years ;  there  are  no  sessional  records  during  his  pastorate, 
the  names  and  the  acts  of  the  ruling  elders  of  that  period  are  a  part  of 
the  records  of  the  church  triumphant,  which  will  be  known  to  all  men 
when  the  books  shall  be  opened. 

In  1756  the  church  secured  a  royal  charter  and  Elders  David  Dun- 
ham and  Dr.  Moses  Bloomfield  are  mentioned  as  trustees  in  the  docu- 
ment. Dr.  Bloomfield  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  culture  and 
ability  ;  his  patriotism  wras  fervent  inducing  to  offer  his  services  to  his 
country  at  an  early  period  of  the  war.  He  was  the  father  of  Governor 
Joseph  Bloomfield,  and  probably  lived  on  what  is  known  as  the  Hance 
place.  His  body  was  placed  to  rest  near  the  church.  A  stone  with  the 
following  inscription  marks  the  spot : 

' '  Dr.  Moses  Bloomfield,  Forty  years  a  Physician  and  Surgeon  in 
this  town  ;  Senior  Physician  and  Surgeon  in  the  Hospitals  of  the  United 
States.  Representative  in  the  Provincial  Congress.  An  upright 
magistrate  and  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church." 

A  brief  record,  but  an  eloquent  tribute. 

For  the  first  twenty-eight  years  of  Dr.  Roe's  pastorate,  the  period 
during  the  Revolution,  we  find  no  sessional  minutes. 

After  the  dissolution  of  the  union  between  the  churches  of  Wood- 
bridge  and  Metuchen,  which  occurred  in  1793,  the  records  are  resumed 
The  session  consisted  of  George  Harriot,  Joseph  Crowel,  Campyon 
Cutter  and  Jonathan  Bloomfield. 

37 


Ephriam  Harriot  and  Jonathan  Freeman  were  added  in  1803.  The 
latter,  the  father  of  the  late  Dr.  E.  B.  Freeman,  was  the  architect  and 
builder  of  the  present  edifice  which  has  stood  for  nearly  a  century  a 
monument  to  his  genius.  He  died  in  1843,  and  an  item  on  the  minutes 
reads,  "  an  honored  and  respected  member  of  this  body,  fifty-seven  years 
a  member  of  the  church,  and  forty  years  a  ruling  elder." 

In  the  early  days  of  the  century  discipline  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church  was  not  a  dead  letter.  The  churches  authority  was  respected 
and  enforced.  The  minutes  contain  the  records  of  many  citations  and 
trials.     Elders  were  appointed  to  endeavor  in  love  to  restore  the  erring 


ISAAC  S.  PAYNE. 

one,  and  we  read  of  confession,  contrition  and  restoration.  These 
occasions,  and  the  results,  gives  us  a  glimpse  at  the  character  of  the 
Elders. 

Ever  jealous  of  the  reputation  of  church  members  the  Elders  in  a 
number  of  instances  cited  their  associates  to  answer  charges  brought 
against  them  personally,  or  by  common  report,  and  they  were  even 
asked  to  stand  aside  from  the  Communion  Table  until  the  charges  could 
be  investigated.  Physician  heal  thyself  could  not  be  demanded  of 
them. 

The  faith  held  and  practiced  by  the  Fathers  was  transmitted  to  the 


38 


sons,  they  brought  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord, 
many  succeeding  to  a  worthy  inheritance.  John  Pike  was  followed  by 
Thomas,  Joseph  Bloomfield  by  Moses,  David  Harriot  by  Ephriam.  David 
N.  Demarest  by  Henry  N.  William  Cutter  by  Ephraim,  Thomas 
Morris  by  Thomas  Harvey.  Many  grew  gray  in  the  service  and  were 
vertible  fathers  in  Israel  Joseph  Crowel,  Campyon  Cutter,  Major 
William  Cutter  and  Francis  Cutter  of  the  first  half  of  the  century.  Their 
associates,  although  their  term  of  service  was  not  so  long,  yet  they 
left  their  imprint  upon  the  church,  Joseph  Barron  the  father  of  Thomas 
Barron,  the  founder  of  our  public  library,  John  E.  Barron,  termed  the 
good,  the  devout  Ephriam  Cutter  and  Joseph  Conklin,  the  humble 
John  Pryor.  We,  of  to-day,  cherish  the  hallowed  recollections  of  David 
N.  Demarest,  who  for  so  many  years  gathered  the  lambs  of  the  fold  in 
the  Sabbath-school ;  of  the  faithful  James  P.  Edgar,  his  successor,  and 
who  led  the  songs  of  Zion  ;  of  T.  H.  Morris,  of  sainted  memory,  who 
was  Uncle  Harvey  to  all  of  us  ;  of  the  genial  Henry  Demarest  who, 
though  years  crowned  his  brow,  retained  his  joyous  youthful  ways. 

Cotemporary  with  these  and  linking  the  present  with  the  past  are 
Isaac  S.  Payne  and  William  H.  Brown,  uniting  with  the  church  in  the 
revival  of  1843,  they  were  set  apart  to  the  Eldership,  the  former  in  1852, 
the  latter  in  1854.  Fifty-seven  years  members  of  the  church,  and  forty- 
eight  and  forty-six  years,  respectively,  Ruling  Elders.  A  record  unpre- 
cedented in  the  church's  history. 

These,  through  faith,  obtained  a  good  report,  and  are  entered  into 
the  rest  that  is  prepared  for  the  people  of  God.  We  should  emulate 
their  devotion  and  loyalty  to  the  church,  and  the  Master  so  that  by  our 
efforts  the  future  of  this  dear  old  church  shall  be  grander  than  the  past. 


OUR    FOUNDERS. 

MARCUS  A.  BROWN. 

Our  founders,  who  were  they  ? 

Among  them  we  find  the  names  of  Cutter,  Brewster,  Barron,  Edgar, 
Harriot,  Brown,  Coddington,  Crow,  Potter,  Freeman,  Hadden,  Bloom- 
field,  Paton,  Dunham,  Jaques,  Laing,  Dunn,  Tappen  and  many  others, 
wTho  having  worshiped  in  a  building  that  was  going  to  decay,  having 
stood  more  than  a  century,  being  built  in  1675,  they  realized  the  neces- 
sity of  having  a  suitable  place  in  which  to  worship.  In  April,  1803,  a 
new  building  was  undertaken  with  great  ' 4  unanimity  and  spirit. ' '     It 

39 


was  almost  finished  by  Fall,  and  opened  and  consecrated  in  the  begin- 
ning of  December,  and  the  structure  still  stands  to-day  on  the  meeting 
house  green,  a  building  sixty-six  by  forty-six  feet,  with  posts  twenty- 
four  feet  high,  and  enclosed  with  shingles.  A  monument  to  our  found- 
ers, who  shall  measure  the  influence  that  has  been  exerted  on  this  com- 
munity by  the  fact  of  this  church  standing  so  long  ?  Who  can  doubt 
that  even  in  its  silence  it  has  ever  stood  as  a  witness  of  the  importance 
our  founders  attached  to  religion,  ' '  For  Christ  and  the  Church. ' '  Who 
of  us,  as  we  look  at  its  symetry  and  its  acoustic  properties,  such  as  few 
modern  churches  possess,  do  not  feel  that  they  were  directed  by  a  power 
higher  than  man?  Who,  of  us,  as  we  tread  the  aisles,  through  which 
they  in  their  ministrations  walked  with  uncovered  heads,  do  not  consider 
it  an  honor  that  to-day  we  are  privileged  to  worship  in  the  house  they 
built?  Who,  of  us,  as  we  paitake  of  the  Holy  Communion,  and  renew 
our  vows  in  the  same  place,  where  they,  with  bowed  heads  and  uplifted 
hearts  did  the  same,  shall  not  say  surely  God  has  been  with  us  ?  Who, 
of  us,  shall  not  say  as  with  reverence  in  prayer  we  invoke  the  Divine 
aid,  blessing  and  forgiveness  that  our  prayers  and  our  songs  of  praise 
do  not  mingle  with  theirs  at  the  great  white  Throne.  All  honor,  I  say, 
to  our  founders  who  gave  of  their  time,  of  their  means,  and  in  their 
great  manhood  and  Christian  characters  laid  the  strong  foundation  and 
erected  this  building  which  to-day  points  its  steeple  heavenward,  direct- 
ing us  to  the  place  they  have  gone,  and  to  which  we  aspire.  Surely 
we,  too,  can  say  they  builded  better  than  they  knew. 


THE  REVOLUTIONARY  HEROES. 

ELLIS  B.   FREEMAN. 

The  roll  of  the  Revolutionary  Heroes  of  the  old  Church  is  one  of 
which  she  need  not  be  ashamed.  LTpon  that  roll  appears  the  names  of 
the  decendants  of  many  of  those  fir^t  fifty-seven  settlers  to  whom 
patents  were  granted  in  1670,  or  thereabouts,  thus  proving  to  the  world 
that  the  lessons  taught  by  the  fathers  were  not  forgotten,  nor  unheeded 
by  the  children.  They  began  to  be  restive  and  to  show  their  metal  as 
early  as  1765.  In  that  year,  as  you  all  know,  the  English  Government 
passed  the  Stamp  act,  an  act  by  which,  as  you  also  know,  all  legal 
papers  and  documents  were  null  and  void  unless  they  were  executed 
upon  stamped  paper,  for  which  a  duty  was  exacted.  The  opposition 
to  this  act  among  the  American  Colonists  was  so  violent  that  no  stamp 

40 


office  felt  safe  in  attempting  to  enforce  it.  In  all  the  Colonies  the 
patriots  formed  themselves  into  organizations  to  which  was  given  the 
name  "Sons  of  Liberty."  The  Stamp  act  was  to  go  into  operation  on 
the  first  of  November,  1765.  The  Woodbridge  "  Sons  of  Liberty," 
and  their  neighbors  from  Piscataway  took  titte  by  the  forelock  and 
sent  a  delegation  to  William  Coxe  of  Philadelphia,  immediately  upon 
the  receipt  of  the  news  of  his  appointment  as  Stamp  Distributor  for 
New  Jersey,  to  tell  him  that  if  his  office  was  not  closed  within  a  week 
the  organization  would  visit  him  in  force  with  very  unpleasant  con- 
sequences to  himself.  The  atmosphere  suddenly  became  so  blue  in  the 
immediate  neighborhood  of  Mr.  Coxe  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
see  his  way  clearly  to  retain  the  office  He,  therefore,  resigned  it  early 
in  September,  1765.  All  honor  to  those  brave  "Sons  of  Liberty." 
Would  that  we  had  their  names  to  publish  upon  the  scroll  of  fame. 
Ten  years  later  when  the  news  from  Lexington  passed  like  a  whirlwind 
over  the  land,  it  found  the  Woodbridge  men  ready  and  waiting  to  go  to 
the  defence  of  their  country.  Many  of  them  faced  the  enemy  upon  the 
battlefield,  and  willingly  bled  and  died  in  defence  of  all  they  held  dear. 
Others  fulfilled  their  part  and  performed  their  duty  in  the  grand 
struggle  by  undergoing  imprisonment  in  loathsome  prisons,  and  by  the 
confiscation  and  destruction  of  their  property.  On  an  occasion  like  this, 
time  will  not  permit  us  to  do  more  than  barely  call  the  roll  of  those 
dead,  but  not  forgotten  heroes.  The  following  roll  is  made  up  partly 
from  Adjutant-General  Striker's  roster,  tradition,  etc.,  as  given  in  Daily's 
history.  It  is  not  claimed  for  it  that  it  is  perfect,  but  it  is  as  near 
perfect  as  it  can  be  made  at  the  present  time.  It  includes  both  those 
that  were  in  the  Continental  Army  and  those  who  served  in  the  State 
Militia  : 

Archibald  Alger. 

Ellis  Barron,  a  Captain  of  First  Regiment  of  Middlesex,  commis- 
sioned January  10,   1776 

Shotwell  Bishop,  he  lived  at  Short  Hills 

James  Bloomfield,  resided  in  Woodbridge,  died  in  Milton. 

Ezekiel  Bloomfield. 

Robert  Burwell,  belonged  to  Captain  Asher  Fitz  Randolph's  Com- 
pany, resided  in  Rahway  Neck,  near  George  Brown's. 

Jonathan  Bloomfield. 

Nathan  Bloomfield,  resided  near  Bonhamtown. 

Thomas  Bloomfield,  Sr.,  called  "Continental  Tommy." 

Thomas  Bloomfield,  Jr.,  said  to  have  been  imprisoned  in  the  Jersey 
Prison  Ship  at  one  time.    He  died  where  Henry  Yandervere  now  resides. 

4i 


Benjamin  Brown,  grandfather  of  Judge  A.  D.  Brown,  lived  on  the 
Woodbridge  Neck. 

Dugald  Campbell,  lived  near  Oak  Tree,  died  in  1809,  aged  77, 
buried  at  Metuehen. 

Joseph  Crowell. 

Kelsey  Cutter,  died  in  Woodbridge,  March  7,  1798,  aged  42. 

Samuel  Cutter  was  in  several  of  the  boat  expeditions  made  by 
Captain  John  Store}',  and  was  one  of  his  favorites. 

Stephen  Cutter,  taken  prisoner  by  British  at  one  time  and  carried 
to  Staten  Island,  died  in  Woodbridge,  June  21,  1823,  aged  78,  lived 
near  Cutter's  Dock. 

Ford  Cutter,  born  1757,  died  181 7,  from  injuries  received  in  the 
batt'e  c  f  Monmouth  Court  House. 

Morris  DeCamp,  Sergeant  in  Sheldon's  Light  Dragoons,  was 
wounded  on  Staten  Island  on  August  23,  1777. 

Joseph  Dunham,  belonged  to  Captain  Asher  F.  Randolph's  Company. 

James  Edgar,  a  private  in  Middlesex  Militia. 

William  Edgar. 

Ambrose  Elston  was  a  Middlesex  County  Judge. 

Crowell  Evans. 

Captain  Asher  Fitz  Randolph  lived  at  the  old  Blazing  Star,  on  what 
is  now  the  Sawyer  property.  His  house  was  of  brick,  and  was  called 
the  Fort.  It  was  torn  down  by  the  late  Capta  n  Tufts  to  give  place  to 
pre-ent  residence.  He  did  excellent  and  effective  work  with  his  com- 
pany during  the  war.  He  died  April  16,  1817  at  the  age  of  62.  He 
served  as  Ensign  under  Captain  Matthew  Freeman  at  the  beginning  of 
his  career,  then  as  one  of  his  Lieutenants,  and  subsequently  left  Free- 
man's Company  for  a  Captaincy  in  Major  Hayes'  Battalion.  He  was 
the  great-grandfather  of  Mr.  Everts  F.  Randolph. 

Jonathan  Freeman  was  first  a  private  in  Captain  Morgan's  Com- 
pany of  the  Second  Middlesex  Regiment  and  afterwards  in  Captain 
Nixon' s  troop  of  light  horse.  He  was  robbed  of  his  household  goods 
and  had  a  fine  horse  shot.  Besides  him  there  were  eleven  others  of  the 
Freeman  family  privates  in  the  Middlesex  Militia.  Jonathan  was  the 
grandfather  of  the  writer. 

David  Freeman,  private  in  Middlesex  Militia. 

Jedediah  Freeman,  private  in  Captain  David  Edgar's  troop. 

Melanchton  Freeman,  surgeon,  died  November  11,  1806,  in  his 
60th  year,  buried  in  the  old  Metuehen  cemetery. 

Captain  Matthew  Freeman,  died  in  1824,  aged  about  81  years. 
He  was  made  Second  Lieutenant  First  Regiment  Middlesex  Militia, 
January,  1776,  and  afterwards  became  captain. 

42 


Samuel  Faree,  private  Middlesex  Militia. 

Hiram  Frazer  lived  near  Six  Roads. 

Morris  Frazer  lived  between  Oak  Tree  and  Plain  field. 

Esich  Fitz  Randolph,  Ezekiel  Malachi  and  Michael  belonged  to 
Captain  Asher  F.  Randolph's  Company.  The  Fitz  Randolph  family 
was  one  of  the  most  patriotic  of  the  war.  Among  those  going  to  battle 
from  this  section  we  find  beside  those  just  mentioned  Barzilla,  Daniel, 
James,  Jcseph,  Stelle,  Phineas,  Samuel,  Thomas,  Zedikel  and  others. 

John  and  Joseph  Gilman  belonged  to  Captain  David  Edgar's  Troop 
of  Light  Horse. 

Charles  Gilman,  private  Middlesex  Militia. 

Thomas  Hadden,  Captain  in  First  Regiment  Middlesex  Militia,  then 
Major,  and  in  April,  1778,  he  was  commissioned  Lieutenant  Colonel, 
but  resigned  in  December  of  same  year. 

Samuel  Jaquish, 

James  Kinsey,  Sr.,  discharged  for  disability  January  3,  1783. 
Served  seven  years. 

James  Kinsey,  Jr.,  John  Kinsey,  an  artilleryman,  and  Shadrach 
Kinsey. 

Ehphalet  Moore,  Second  Regiment  Artillery  Continental  Army, 
Jived  in  Rah  way  Neck. 

Captain  Christopher  Marsh  belonged  to  Essex  Light  Horse,  but 
lived  between  Six  Roads  and  Milton. 

Ralph  Marsh  made  First  Lieutenant  in  Captain  Ellis  Barron's  Com- 
pany, January  10,  1776. 

Merrick  Martin  (a  number  of  Martin's),  residing  in  this  section, 
were  soldiers  in  the  Revolution.  Many  of  them  lived  at  or  near 
Metuchen. 

Peter  Noe,  private,  lived  at  Blazing  Star.  Several  other  Noe's  of 
this  section  fought  for  freedom.      Died  September  2,  18 19,  aged  69. 

James  Noe  belonged  to  A.  F.  Randolph's  Company. 

Captain  Zebulon  Pike  was  a  cornet  in  Moylan's  Regiment  of  Conti- 
nentals in  March,  1777,  and  Adjutant  on  November  1st,  a  Lieutentant 
March  15,  1778,  then  paymaster,  and  finally  Captain,  December  25, 
1778. 

Captain  Richard  Skinner  of  the  First  Regiment  Militia  was  killed 
July  1  st,  1779,  at  the  Six  Roads  Tavern. 

Samuel  Willis  was  one  of  Captain  A.  F.  Randolph's  Company.  He 
lived  between  Houghtenville  and  New  Dover. 

Captain  Nathaniel  F.  Randolph  was  a  Captain  of  the  Middlesex 
Militia  at  first,  and  was  elected  Naval  Officer  for  the  Eastern  Di^tr.ct  of 
New  Jersey  on  the  12th  of  December,  1778.     The  day  before  this  elec- 

43 


tion  the  council  ordered  that  a  sword  should  be  purchased  for  him  as  a 
fitting  tribute  to  "his  patriotism,  vigilence  and  bravery  during  the 
war/'  which  was  subsequently  presented  to  him.  He  died  of  the 
wounds  received  at  or  near  Springfield,  N.  J.,  on  the  23rd  of  June, 
his  death  occuring  just  one  month  afterwards,  July  23rd,  1780.  He 
was  once  married  to  Experience  Inslee,  afterwards  the  wife  of  James 
Coddington.      He  left  no  children. 

Captain  David  Edgar  was  another  Woodbridge  hero  He  was  a 
Lieutenant  for  a  while  in  General  Nathaniel  Heard's  Brigade,  but  his 
reputation  (military)  was  gained  largely  during  his  connection  with 
Sheldon's  Dragoons.  In  May,  1778,  Captain  Edgar  was  the  leader  in 
an  affair  which  his  Commanding  General,  Brigadier-General  Smallvvood 
of  the  Maryland  line  characterized  as  an  act  of  extraodinary  gallantry. 
It  was  as  follows,  viz.,  he  and  five  of  his  dragoons  made  an  assault 
upon  a  vessel  that  was  under  sail  on  her  way  to  Philadelphia  with 
provisions  for  the  British,  and  captured  it.  So  far  as  the  writer  has 
any  knowledge  there  is  only  one  other  similar  incident  on  record,  and 
that  happened  during  the  Yenezuelian  war  of  independence  from  Spain. 
In  that  case  the  Yenzuelian  General  Paez  with  a  troop  of  lancers 
attacked  a  Spanish  Gunboat  that  was  lying  at  anchor  in  the  middle  of  a 
river,  and  captured  it,  although  the  gunboat  wTas  heavily  armed  and 
manned.     Captain  Edgar  died  September  6,  18 10,  in  his  60th  year. 

Samuel  Dally  and  his  son  Jeremiah,  wTere  also  Woodbridge  men 
and  s  >ldiers  in  the  first  Middlesex  Militia.  Samuel  fought  at  one  time 
under  the  leadership  of  Washington.  He  was  one  of  the  faithful  who 
crossed  the  Delaware  in  mid-winter  to  surprise  the  He-sians  at  Trenton. 
He  also  fought  at  Monmouth.  He  died  March  9,  1784  in  his  53rd 
year. 

These  are  some,  but  not  all  of  the  Revolutionary  Heroes  of  the  old 
Church.  Time  will  not  permit  me  to  mention  but  two  more,  which, 
although  left  until  the  last  are  by  no  means  the  least  upon  the  roll  of 
honor.  The  first  of  these  were  Dr  Azel  Roe,  the  Pastor  of  the  Church. 
He  was  a  man  of  commanding  presence,  and  excellent  address ;  a  brilliant 
preacher,  and  a  most  fervent  patriot,  warmly  aiding  the  cause  of  liberty 
by  voice  and  action.  It  is  said  of  him  that  on  one  occasion  he  incited 
some  of  his  flock  to  assist  a  company  of  Continental  troops  in  attacking 
some  British  soldiers  near  Blazing  Star.  He  was  in  this  skirmish  him- 
self. The  result  is  unknown.  His  patriotism  was  of  the  kind  that 
gained  for  him  the  distinction  of  being  considered  by  the  British  as 
worthy  of  the  hospitality  of  the  old  Sugar  House  Prison,  and  after 
several  ineffectual  attempts,  they  finall}7  succeeded  in  getting  him  there. 
It  is  said  that  on  the  way  to  the  prison    the    British   officer,  who   had 

44 


charge  of  him,  offered  to  carry  the  rather  portly  and  reverend  gentlemen 
across  a  small  ford.  With  true  ministerial  regard  for  his  shoes  and 
stockings,  the  preacher  bestrode  the  back  of  his  amiable  escort,  at  the 
same  time  remarking:  "Well,  sir,  you  can  say  after  this  that  you 
were  once  'priest  ridden  '  He  died  the  2nd  day  of  December,  1815, 
in  the  77th  year  of  his  age,  and  the  fifty-third  of  his  ministry. 

Dr.  Moses  Bloomfield  is  the  last  of  the  two  left  for  the  ending  of 
this  roll  of  honor.  He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  culture  and 
ability.  His  patriotism  was  fervent,  and  he  offered  his  services  to  his 
country  at  a  very  early  period  of  the  war  (May  14,  1777.  )  The  follow- 
ing inscription  upon  his  tombstone  tells  the  story  of  his  life  : 

' '  Dr.  Moses  Bloomfield, 
40  years  Physician  and  Surgeon 
in  this  town  ;   Senior  Physician  and  Surgeon 
in  the  Hospitals  of  the  United  States  ;   Rep- 
resentative in  the  Provincial  Congress  and 
General  Assembly  ;  an  upright  Magistrate  ; 
Elder  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  etc. ,  etc. 
Born 
December  the  4th,  1729. 
Deceased 
August  the  14th,   1 79 1,  in  his  63rd  year." 

The  Revolutionary  Heroes :  they  fought  well  ;  they  labored  well. 
May  they  sleep  well,  and  their  labors  never  be  forgotten. 


THE  WOMEN  OF  THE  CHURCH— PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

MRS.   JOEL  MEEICK. 

In  our  grand  old  State  of  New  Jersey,  few  churches  can  boast  of 
vSuch  antiquity  as  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Woodbridge.  It 
has  always  been  characterized  by  its  zeal  and  Christian  activity,  and  it 
owes  its  prosperity  and  perpetuity  largely  to  its  women. 

There  are  two  dates  confronting  us  to-night,  and  both  are  unfamiliar. 
1900  is  strange  to  us  yet,  and  really  seems  like  a  new  acquaintance,  an 
untried  friend.  1675  seems  very  remote  indeed,  and  as  the  mind  runs 
back  over  all  these  years  one  can  scarcely  imagine  or  conjecture  how 
the  church  was  organized  and  carried  on  at  that  early  period. 

45 


We  come  down  a  century  to  1775,  and  begin  to  feel  that  possibly 
those  of  that  time  were  real  live  men  and  women,  and  were  related  to  us 
in  some  very  remote  wTay.  Another  century  brings  us  to  1875;  we 
breathe  more  freely,  and  feel  that  our  feet  are  on  solid  ground  ;  many 
who  are  here  can  recall  with  much  pride  and  pleasure  our  Bi-Ceutennial 
Celebration  in  that  year. 

The  records  of  1675  are  very  brief  and  scant,  but  we  believe  the 
women  in  this  Church  then  were  true  and  loyal  to  it,  abounding  in 
good  works  :  and,  so  to-night  I  would  reach  out  the  hand  of  good  fellow- 
ship, and  say  :  ' '  All  honor  to  the  women  of  the  Seventeenth  Century  ! 
All  praise  and  gratitude  to  the  women  of  the  Eighteenth  Century  !  All 
hail !  peace  and  good- will  to  the  women  of  the  Nineteenth  Century !  ' ' 

A  few  months  ago  when  a  sister  church  in  Railway,  celebrated  its 
thirty-fifth  anniversary,  there  were  numerous  able  addresses.  Towards 
the  close  of  one  of  the  services  an  elderly  gentleman  spoke  and  made 
this  pertinent  remark,  "We  have  heard  a  great  deal  this  evening  about 
what  '  he  did '  and  '  he  said, '  but  I  can  tell  you  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
she's  there  would  not  be  any  church  here  to  celebrate." 

And  it  is  so  in  most  churches.  The  women  are  in  the  majority 
both  in  church  membership,  and  in  the  general  attendance  upon  the 
regular  services.  There  may  be  one  exception  to  this  in  the  Parish 
meeting,  as  for  mam'  years  this  meeting  was  regarded  as  being  exclu- 
sively for  the  mail  members  of  the  congregation,  but  now  that  all  the 
congregation  are  invited,  and  urged  to  attend  this  important  meeting,  a 
fevv  years  will  suffice,  and  we  shall  see  the  women  in  the  majority  here 
also,  and  who  knows  but  soon  we  shall  find  a  Deaconess,  serving  side 
by  side  with  the  Deacons,  and  filling  her  place  equally  well.      Why  not? 

When  there  is  real,  patient,  plodding  work  to  be  done  of  whom  is 
it  expected  ?  Of  the  women  most  decidedly  ;  and,  I  am  sure  those  of 
this  church  have  never  faltered,  or  thrown  aside  their  responsibility. 

And  where  can  women  find  more  ennobling  work  than  in  the  home 
and  the  church  ?  And  one  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  other.  What 
higher  intellectual  position  can  women  hope  for,  than  that  which  nature 
has  assigned  to  her  ? 

What  more  ennobling,  and  elevated  sphere  can  she  ever  obtain, 
than  the  God  given  mission  of  training  the  youthful  mind,  and  thus 
forming  characters  which  shall  rule  the  world  ?  By  the  home  fireside, 
at  the  mother's  knee,  the  seeds  of  religion  are  sown  ;  they  are  nurtured, 
into  bloom  in  the  Sabbath- school,  and  bears  fruit  in  the  church.  In  the 
home  where  Christ  is  a  living  presence,  the  home  ties  are  usually  very 
strong.  Parents  and  children,  brothers  and  sisters  are  bound  together 
by  the  most  endearing  buds,  became  that  love  which  "  seeketh  not  its 

46 


own,"  "bears  one  anothers  burdens,"  "  suffereth  long  and  is  kind," 
prevaileth  here,  and  this  is  the  ideal  home,  from  it  springs  the  ideal 
church. 

This  particular  church  has  always  been  conspicuous  for  its  good 
works,  and  Dorcas,  Lois,  Eunice  and  Mary  and  Martha,  all  have  their 
followers  here. 

Our  old  familiar  Bible  was  the  gift  of  a  woman,  Miss  Catherine 
Hadden.  Our  first  collection  plates  also  were  given  by  Mrs.  Eliza 
Harriot.  The  Baptismal  cup  was  donated  by  Mrs.  Campy  on  Cutter, 
mother  of  Mrs.  Patton,  and  Mrs.  Patton  was  one  of  three  women  who 
organized  the  first  Sabbath-school  here,  and  was  one  of  its  first  teachers. 

In  1856  a  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  organized  with 
the  following  officers  :  First  Directress,  Mrs.  David  N.  Demarest ; 
Second  Directress,  Mrs.  Martha  Freeman ;  Third  Directress,  Mrs.  John 
Lawrence;  Secretary,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Edgar;  Treasurer,  Mrs  E.  A. 
Barron.  Mrs.  Freeman  and  Mrs.  Barron  are  the  two  surviving  officers, 
and  have  always  been  identified  with  the  church  work  in  many  ways. 
I  hope  both  are  well  enough  to  be  with  us  on  this  anniversary  evening. 
Mrs.  Martha  Freeman  took  the  charge  for  many  years  of  the  Commun- 
ion Service,  and  prepared  and  supplied  the  necessary  elements  for  the 
celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  In  this  Missionary  Society  the 
women  sewed  for  any  one  who  wanted  such  work  done,  meeting  every 
two  weeks  at  the  house  of  some  member.  The  membership  fee  was  2  5 
cents  per  year  and  males  became  honorary  members  upon  the  payment 
of  50  cents.  The  basket,  for  holding  the  sewing  in  this  Society,  was 
donated  by  Mrs.  Eliza  Harriot,  and  still  used  for  that  purpose.  Funds 
were  raised  at  one  time  by  soliciting  membership  fees  at  one  dollar  per 
year,  and  the  money  expended  for  a  scholarship  in  Syria,  as  well  as  for 
the  Sidou  Building.  About  sixty  dollars  was  raised  each  year  in  this 
way,  until  an  Auxiliary  Society  was  formed  in  connection  with  the 
Elizabeth  Presbyterial  Society.  This  was  in  '72.  The  officers  of  that 
society  were : 

President,  Mrs.  George  C.  Lucas. 
Vice-President,  Miss  S.  Anna  Cutter. 
Secretary,  Miss  Mary  Harriet  Cutter. 
Treasurer,  Miss  Phebe  Freeman. 

There  were  $50  a  year  raised  for  twelve  years  for  a  scholarship 
in  Sukel  Grub  Training  School,  Syria.  Now,  the  money  is  devoted  to 
educational  work,  medical  missions  and  other  objects.  In  June,  1881, 
our  Pastor,  Rev.  J.  M.  McNulty,  invited  the  women  of  the  church  to 
meet  at  the  Lecture  room.      After  a  brief  prayer,  he  stated  the  meeting 

47 


was  called  at  the  suggestion  of  Mrs.  Wm.  M.  Martin,  whose  memory  is 
dear  to  all  of  us,  to  consider  the  work  of  Home  Missions.  A  society 
was  formed  at  that  date,  with  the  hope  of  creating  more  interest  in  the 
Home  Mission  fields.  These  two  missionary  societies  worked  on  amid 
many  discouragements,  still  they  lived,  and  did  good  work  (if  I  only 
had  time  to  tell  you  of  them)  until  February,  1884,  when  it  was  decided 
to  unite  the  two  in  one  society,  to  be  known  as  the  "Home  and  Foreign 
Missionary  Society  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Woodbridge." 

Since  1 89 1  the  method  of  raising  funds  has  been  by  weekly  offerings, 
and  once  a  year  holding  a  Prayer  and  Praise  Service  In  this  manner 
more  money  has  been  realized,  and  more  interest  created.  In  1862,  a 
church  Aid  Society  was  formed  by  Mrs.  Wm.  M.  Martin.  The  officers 
were : 

First  Directress,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Edgar. 
Second  Directress,  Mrs.  Dr.  Freeman. 
Third  Directress,  Miss  Maggie  Prall. 
Treasurer,  Miss  Phebe  Freeman. 
Secretary,  Miss  K.  C.  Barron. 

The  object  to  work  for  a  fair, the  proceeds  to  be  devoted  to  the  pur- 
chase of  a  musical  instrument.  The  women  met  at  the  home  of 
some  member  every  Thursday  afternoon.  The  gentlemen  met  in  the 
evening  for  the  social  part  of  the  meetings. 

They  continued  this  Society  for  many  years,  working  for  the  inter- 
est and  improvement  of  the  Church,  always  ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand 
in  every  good  work,  until  February,  1891,  when  it  w7as  decided  to  unite 
this  Society  with  the  consolidated  Missionary  Societies,  and  work  under 
the  direction  of  one  corps  of  officers,  and  at  this  time  the  experiment  of 
raising  money  by  weekly  offerings,  adopted  by  this  Society  also. 

It  has  been  a  success.  For  the  past  three  years  the  weekly  offer- 
ings and  the  donations  have  enabled  them  to  do  away  with  entertain- 
ments entirely.     The  present  officers  of  this  Society  are : 

President,  Mrs.  J.  M.  McNulty. 

Vice-President,  Miss  Anna  Coddington. 

Secretary,  Miss  Edith  Scott. 

Corresponding  Secretary,  Mrs.  J.  F.  Clarkson. 

Treasurer,  Miss  S.  Anna  Cutter. 

Financial  Secretary,  Miss  Susie  Freeman. 

During  Rev.  Mr.  Martin's  pastorate,  a  Mother's  Meeting  was 
instituted  by  Mrs  Strael.  These  were  held  at  the  Parsonage.  A  Mother's 

48 


Prayer  Meeting.  I  have  no  doubt  there  are  others  here  besides  the 
writer  who  remember  these  meetings.  I  can  recall  most  vividly  how,  as 
a  little  child,  I  went  with  my  sainted  mother  to  these  meetings.  I  pre- 
sume they  all  felt  I  was  too  young  to  be  influenced  by  them  to  any 
great  degree,  but  I  can  never  forget  the  impression  those  meetings  made 
on  my  childish  heart.  Mother's  meeting  to  pray  for  their  children,  and 
the  influence  emanating  therefrom  has  lasted  even  unto  the  present 
hour. 

In  1874,  at  the  suggestion  of  Mrs.  B.  A.  Barron,  the  "  Lillies  of 
the  Field  "  Mission  Band  was  organized  with  a  membership  of  thirteen, 
in  the  interest  of  Foreign  Missions,  Mrs.  William  H.  Cutter  being  its 
President.  The  interest  in  this  Society  has  been  unusual ;  brave  young 
hearts  who  meet  difficulties  without  feeling  the  discouragements  that 
older  ones  often  do,  have  carried  it  on,  and  every  year  we  hear  the  most 
encouraging  reports  of  the  blossoming  of  the  "Lillies. "  In  1886  this 
Society  was  reorganized,  and  a  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
formed,  and  it  is  still  crowned  with  success.  Its  officers  now  are  all 
young  women  who  have  grown  up  with  the  Society,  and  been  identified 
with  it  from  childhood.     No  wonder  it  is  successful. 

Its  present  officers  are  : 

President,  Mrs.  John  Breckenridge. 
Vice-President,  Miss  Louise  Brewster. 
Secretary,  Miss  Anna  Hart. 
Treasurer,  Miss  Laura  Cutter. 

These  statistics  seem  necessary  just  to  give  you  a  glimpse  of  some 
of  the  work  done  by  the  women  of  this  church. 

There  are  also  a  number  of  the  women  of  our  church  who  are 
interested  workers  in  that  great  and  most  intensely  interesting  cause  of 
temperance.  This  cause  appeals  most  essentially  to  the  hearts  of  women 
because  they  are  directly  or  indirectly  the  greatest  sufferers  from  intem- 
perance. How  sad  a  contemplation  is  it  "  that  no  man  liveth  to  him- 
self. ' '  If  the  laws  of  health  or  temperance  are  violated  the  effects  reach 
out  and  touch  other  lives  and  hearts.  The  influence  of  wrong  doing: 
cannot  rest  upon  one  person,  it  must  effect  others  ;  but  if  this  thought 
is  sad  there  is  another  side  to  it,  which  is  bright  and  full  of  cheer.  All 
good  deeds  have  an  influence  also  upon  those  with  whom  we  are  in 
touch,  and  so,  dear  sisters  working  in  this  noble  cause,  we  would  bid 
you  ' '  God-speed,  God  bless  you  ! ' '  Although  this  is  the  greatest  evil: 
that  is  sapping  the  life  of  our  church  to-day,  and  through  the  churclx, 


49 


our  fair  land  as  well,  yet  we  bid  you  remember,  all  great  deeds  and 
grand  attainments  are  gained  through  suffering  and  self-sacrifice. 
Though  the  clouds  may  be  heavy  now,  there  is  sunshine  beyond. 

There  are  other  women  also  of  our  church  who  are  doing  a  good 
work  in  the  Society  of  the  "  King's  Daughters,"  a  most  loveable  work, 
assisting  the  helpless,  raising  the  fallen,  caring  for  the  dying,  speaking 
the  words  of  comfort  to  the  sad  and  despairing  heart,  and  all  ' '  In  His 
Name. ' ' 

And  who  can  tell  of  the  many,  many  noble  deeds  done  by  the 
women  here  that  shall  never  be  known  until  the  books  are  opened  and 
our  lives  are  revealed. 

Most  of  the  statistics  given  here  to-night  have  been  gathered  by  one 
of  the  faithful  women  of  this  church,  at  the  expense  of  much  time, 
strength  and  patience,  but  she  loves  her  dear  old  church,  as  we  all  do, 
and  so  it  was  a  labor  of  love.  I  refer  to  Miss  S.  Anna  Cutter.  The 
Church  Aid  Society  also  owes  its  present  existence  to  this  same  woman. 
It  was  at  one  time  very  near  dissolution.  A  division  in  the  church 
caused  a  division  of  officers,  and  she  as  the  Vice-President  was  forced 
into  the  President's  chair  with  all  its  duties  and  responsibilities,  but  she 
proved  herself  equal  to  the  occasion  ;  she  rallied  her  friends  around  her, 
and  the  crisis  was  safely  passed  and  the  society  lived  on. 

Years  have  come  and  gone.  Change  is  written  upon  even'  face, 
as  well  as  upon  all  the  appointments  of  the  dear  old  church,  but  life  and 
its  responsibilities — the  church  with  its  duties  and  privileges — are  reali- 
ties to-day.  And  are  not  the  women  of  to-day  just  as  earnest,  and 
willing  to  give  of  their  time,  strength,  and  influence,  as  those  of  years 
ago? 

The  facts  given  to-night  assure  us  they  are. 

The  mantles  of  the  great-great  grandmothers  have  fallen  upon  the 
daughters,  generation  after  generation.  Receive  yours,  dear  sisters,  as  a 
precious  legacy ;  guard  it  with  jealous  care,  that  it  may  be  handed 
down  to  our  posterity  by  the  society  of  this  church,  whose  women  are 
unsurpassed. 

A  woman  that  feareth  the  Lord,  she  shall  be  "praised."  Give 
her  of  the  fruit  of  her  hands,  and  let  her  own  works  praise  her  in  the 
gates.  A.  E.  MKLICK. 

May  Thirtieth,  Nineteen  Hundred. 


50 


A  paper  was  circulated  in  April,  1802.  The  money  was  to  be 
applied  to  the  erection  of  a  Presbyterian  Church,  "nearly  where  the 
old  one  stands,"  to  be  sixty-six  by  forty-six  feet,  with  posts  twenty-four 
feet  high  and  enclosed  with  shingles. 

Here  is  the  list  of  subscribers: 


Campyon  Cutter 

..   $  250.00 

Crowell  Hadden 

.  $     40.00 
25.00 

Timothy  Brewster. . . . 

250.00 

Morris  Reed 

Joseph  Barron 

250  00 

Thomas  Jackson 

30.00 
100.00 

William  Edgar,  J  r 

200.00 

Daniel  B.  Moores 

Samuel  Harriot,  Jr. . . . 

25.00 

Peter  W.  Gallaudet... 

20.00 

John  Brown 

100.00 

Joseph  Bloomfield 

100.00 

John   Barron 

100.00 

Clarkson  Edgar 

200.00 

David  Edgar 

I OO.  CO 

Henry  Dunham 

10  00 

James  Edgar 

100.00 

James  Smith 

200.00 

Samuel  Brown 

40.00 

Thomas  Edgar 

150.00 

Robert  Moores 

50.00 

Elias  Thomson 

20.00 

James  Coddington 

20.00 

David  Tappen 

20  00 

Ephraim  Harriot 

SO  00 

Ichabod  Potter 

100.00 

Robert  Coddington..., 

30.00 

Alexander  Edgar 

40.00 

Samuel  Cutter 

40.00 

James  Paton 

John  Manning 

100  00 

Philip  Brown 

80  00 

60.00 

Israel  Dissosway 

50.00 

James  Brown,  Jr 

50.00 

Edward  Munda}^ 

20.00 

Jonatham  Coddington. . 

15.00 

Richard  Wright 

Foreman  Brown 

150.00 
60.00 

Thomas  Acken 

6.00 

Dr.  Jos.  Griffith 

10.00 

Ellis  Crow 

2  ^  00 

Samuel  Jaques 

5.00 
s.oo 

Isaac  Potter 

^0  00 

William  Eaing 

Jonathan  Freeman 

100.00 

Seth  Dunn 

16.00 

John  Conway 

100.00 

$3,522.00 

The  following  statement  of  the  financial  manager,  David  Edgar, 
will  be  interesting  to  our  readers  : 

Dr.       The  Parish  of  Woodbridge,  in  account  with  David  Edgar,       Cr 
1803-4. 

To  sundry  payments  to  the  hands  by  moneys  collected  and  due  on 
the  subscription  for 


5i 


£  s.  p. 

Receipts  for  work,       712    1     o 
To  sundry  p'ym'ts 

for  material,  etc.,  1,221     3    o 
Com.  at  3%  58    o    o 

Int.  on  money  adr. ,        1700 


1806. 

March  19th.     To 
balance  due  me, 
Errors  excepted 
Paid  John  Kinsey 


Contra, 

Due  D.  Edgar, 


,£2,008   4s.  op. 

£  S.  P. 

143    4    9 
12    o 


143  16    9 
46    8    o 


£  S.   P. 

Building  the  meet- 
ing house,  T"779  1 1     3 

By  sales  of  sundries 
at  vendue,  85    80 

By  balance  due  me,      1 43    4    9 

,£2,008    4s.  op. 

By  a  mistake  in 
adding  the  sub. ,  40    o    o 

By  Seth  Dunn,  680 


£46    8s.  op. 


97    8    9 


March  24th,  1806,  the  committee  appointed,  examined  and  certi- 
fied the  above  account,  and  find  due  David  Edgar  $243.60 

(Copy  signed), 

JOSEPH  CROWEEL, 
JAMES  PATON, 
JAMES  BROWN, 
JOSEPH  BARRON. 

P.  S. — David   Edgar  was   authorized  by   a  vote  of  the  Parish    to 
assess  the  balance  due  him  on  the  subscribers. 


52 


SEXTONS. 


WITH   THEIR  TERM   OF   SERVICE. 

Gresham  Conger,  1767-73. 
Master  Kennedy,  1773-76. 
John  F.  Harriot,  1776-91. 
Adolph  Jonas,  1791-98. 
John  Holton,  1798,  1801. 
Elias  Thompson,  180 1-8. 
Henry  Dunham,  1 808-11. 
Henry  Osborn,  1811-12. 
Joel  Freeman,  1812-20 
Charles  Gilman,  1820-26. 
Samuel  Bird,  1826-38. 
Richard  Cook,  1838-58. 
Thomas  Cook,  1 858-6 1. 
Charles  Levi,  1861-65,  1870-76. 
Richard  Evans,  1865-70. 
C.  J.  Scott,  1876. 


53 


CHARTER  OF  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

On  the  back  of  the  Charter  are  these  words  :      ' '  Let  the  Great  Seal 
of  the  Province  be  hereunto  affixed. 

To  the  Secretary  of 


I  J.   BELCHER. 
New  Jersey,  j 


The  full  text  of  this  document  is  as  follows  : 

George  the  second,  by  the  grace  of  God  of  Great  Britain,  France 
and  Ireland,  King,  Defender  of  the  faith,  to  all  to  whom  these  presents 
shall  come,  greeting  : 

Whereas,  The  advancement  of  true  Religion  and  virtue  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  the  promotion  of  peace,  order,  and  prosperity  of  the 
State.     And, 

Whereas,  It  is  the  Duty  of  all  Christian  Princes  and  Governors, 
by  the  Love  of  God,  to  do  all  they  can  for  the  Encouragement  thereof. 
And, 

Whereas,  Sundry  of  our  Loving  Subjects  of  the  Presbyterian 
Persuasion  Inhabitants  of  and  about  the  Township  of  Woodbridge,  within 
our  Colony  of  New  Jersey,  by  their  Humble  Petition  Presented  to  our 
trusty  and  well  beloved  Jonathan  Belcher,  Esq.,  our  Captain,  General 
and  Commander-in-Chief  of  our  Province  of  New  Jersey,  and  Vice- 
Admiral  in  the  Same  Shewing  that  the  Petitions  and  others  of  the  same 
Persuasion  Inhabitants  in  about  the  Township  of  Woodbridge,  aforesaid, 
do  make  up  a  very  large  and  considerable  Congregation.  That  the 
most  advantageous  Support  of  Religion  among  them  necessarily  requires 
that  some  Persons  should  be  incorporated  as  Trustees  for  the  community, 
that  they  may  take  Grants  of  Lands  and  Chattels,  thereby  to  enable  the 
Petitioners  to  erect  and  repair  Publick  Buildings  for  the  worship  of  God 
and  the  use  of  the  Ministry,  and  School  Houses  and  Alms  Houses,  and 
suitably  to  support  the  Ministry  and  the  Poor  of  their  Church,  and  to 
do  and  perform  other  acts  of  Piety  and  Charity  ;  and,  that  the  same 
Trustees  may  have  power  to  Lett  and  Grant  the  same  under  a  Publick 
seal  for  the  uses  aforesaid  ;  and,  that  the  same  Trustees  may  Plead  and 
be  impleaded  in  any  suit  touching  the  Premises,  and  have  perpetual 
succession,  that  as  the  known  Loyalty  of  the  Petitioners  and  the  Pres- 
byterians in  General  to  us  their  firm  affection  to  our  Person  and  Govern- 
ment, and  the  Prostestant  Succession  in  our  Royal  House,  gave  the 
Petitioners  hopes  of  all  Reasonable  Indulgeance  and  Favour  within  the 
same  Colony  where  the  Religious  rites  of  mankind  are  so  happily  Pre- 
served, and  where  our  equal  Grace  and  Bounty  to  all  our  Protestant 

54 


faithful  subjects,  however,  differing  in  opinion  about  lesser  matters,  has 
hitherto  been  so  sensibly  felt  and  enjoyed,  the  said  Petitioners, 

Therefore,  Most  humbly  prayed  our  Grant  of  an  incorporation 
to  the  Petitioners  by  the  name  of  the  Trustees  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  the  Township  of  Woodbridge,with  all  such  powers, Capacities 
and  Priviliges  as  might  be  affectual  in  Law  for  the  purposes  aforesaid  ; 
and,  that  Richard  Cutter,  Edward  Crowel,  William  Heard,  David 
Donham,  George  Brown,  John  Moores  and  Moses  Bloomfield  might  be 
the  first  Trustees,  which  Petition  signed  with  the  names  of  a  Great 
Number  of  our  faithful  and  Loving  Subjects,  Inhabitants  in  and  about 
the  said  town,  we  being  willing  to  grant,  know  ye  that  we  of  our  Special 
Grace,  certain  knowledge  and  meer  motion  have  willed  and  ordained, 
constituted,  given  and  granted,  and  for  us  our  Heirs  and  successors  by 
these  Presents  Do,  will,  ordain,  constitute,  give  and  grant  that  Richard 
Cutter,  Edward  Crowel,  William  Heard,  David  Donham,  George  Brown, 
John  Moores  and  Moses  Bloomfield  from  henceforth  and  their  successors, 
forever  hereafter  shall  be  and  remain  one  Body,  Poletick  and  Corporate 
in  Deed,  Fact  and  Name,  by  the  names  of  the  Trustees  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  Township  of  Woodbridge,  and  them  and 
their  successors  by  the  name  of  the  Trustees  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  the  Township  of  Woodbridge,  one  Body,  Corporate  and 
Politick  in  Deed,  Fact  and  Name,  really  and  Truly  We  do  for  us,  our 
Heirs  and  successors  erect,  make,  ordain,  constitute,  declare  and  create 
by  these  Presents,  and  by  that  name  they  shall  and  may  have  Perpetual 
Succession. 

And,  also  that  they  and  their  successors  by  the  Name  of  the 
Trustees  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  Township  of  Wood- 
bridge,  be  and  forever  hereafter  shall  be  Persons  able  in  Law  to  Purchase, 
take  hold,  Receive  and  enjoy  any  Messuages,  Houses,  Buildings,  Lands, 
Tenements,  Rents,  Assigns  and  other  Hereditaments  and  Real  Estate  in 
fee,  simple  or  otherwise,  so  as  the  yearly  clear  Value  of  the  Sum  does 
not  Exceed  the  sum  of  Two  Hundred  pound  sterling  of  the  Statute  of 
Mortmain,  any  other  Law  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  and  also 
goods,  chattels  and  all  other  things  of  what  kind  or  quality  soever. 

And,  also  that  they  and  their  successors  by  the  name  of  the  Trustees 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  Township  of  Woodbridge,  shall 
and  may  give,  grant  and  demise,  assign,  sell  or  otherwise  dispose  of  all 
or  any  of  their  Messuages,  Houses,  Lands,  Tenements,  Rents,  Posses- 
sions and  other  Hereditaments  and  Real  Estate,  and  all  their  goods, 
chattels  and  other  things  aforesaid,  as  to  them  shall  seem  meet,  and 
also  that  they  and  their  successors  by  the  name  of  the  Trustees 
of   the    First  Presbyterian  Church,    in  the  Township  of   Woodbridge, 

55 


be,  and  forever  hereafter,  shall  be  able  in  Law  capable  to  sue  and 
be  sued,  implead  or  be  impleaded,  persons  answer  or  be  answered, 
defend  or  be  defended  in  all  courts  of  judicature  whatsoever.  And, 
also  that  the  said  Trustees  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
Township  of  Woodbridge,  for  the  time  being,  and  their  successors  shall, 
and  may  forever,  hereafter  have  and  use  a  common  Seal  with  such 
device  or  devices  as  the}'  shall  think  proper  for  Sealing  all  and  singular 
Deeds,  Grants,  Conveyances,  Contracts  Bonds,  Articles  of  Agreement, 
Assignments,  Powers,  Authorities ;  and,  all  Singular  their  affairs  and 
things  touching  or  concerning  the  said  Corporation. 

And,  also  that  the  said  Trustees  and  their  successors  forever,  may 
as  oft  as  they  see  fit  break,  change  and  new- make  the  Same  or  any 
other  their  common  Seal ;   and  Further, 

We  do  of  our  special  Grace,  certain  knowledge  and  meer  motion  of 
us  our  Heirs  and  Successors  by  these  Presents,  will  ordain,  constitute, 
give  and  Grant,  that  upon  any  Vacancy  among  the  Trustees  of  the  said 
First  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  Township  of  Woodbridge,  by  Death, 
Removal,  or  other  Incapacity,  whatsoever,  that  the  Minister  or  Ministers, 
Elders,  and  Deacons  for  the  time  being  of  the  said  First  Presbyterian 
'Chirch,  in  the  Township  of  Woodbridge,  shall  and  may  meet  together 
at  the  Town  of  Woodbridge,  aforesaid,  and  then  and  there  elect  and 
choose  such  Person  or  Persons  out  of  the  Congregation  of  the  said 
Church,  as  they  think  Proper  to  Supply  the  Vacancy  of  such  Trustee 
or  Trustees,  cause  by  Death,  Removal  or  other  Incapacity  as  aforesaid. 

And,  also  that  at  any  and  at  all  times,  whatsoever,  when  the  Said 
Minister  or  Ministers,  Elders  and  Deacons  of  the  Church  aforesaid,  or 
the  majority  of  them  for  the  time  being,  shall  and  do  Judge  it  proper, 
and  for  the  Benefit  of  the  Said  Corporation  that  any  Trustee  or  Trustees 
Should  be  Removed  and  Displaced  from  his  or  thier  office  of  Trustee, 
that  then,  and  in  such  case,  the  said  Minister,  or  Ministers,  Elders  and 
Deacons  of  the  Said  Church,  or  the  majority  of  them  for  the  time  being, 
shall  and  may  meet  together  at  the  Town  of  Woodbridge,  aforesaid, 
and  are  hereby  Sufficiently  authorized  then  and  there  to  Displace  and 
remove  from  the  office  of  the  Trustee  or  Trustees  ;  And  in  their  Room 
and  stead  to  elect  and  choose  out  of  the  Congregation  of  said  Church, 
an>-  Person  or  Persons  to  supply  the  place  or  places  of  such  Trustees  so 
Displaced  and  Removed. 

Provided,  always,  that  the  Number  of  the  Said  Trustees  exceed  not 
Seven,  and  every  Trustee  so  elected  and  appointed  and  aforesaid,  shall 
by  virtue  of  these  Presents,  and  of  such  election  and  appointment  be 
vested  with  all  the  Powers  and  Privileges  which  any  of  the  other 
Trustees  has,  or  has  had. 

56 


And  we  do  further  will  and  ordain,  Give  and  Grant  that  the  Trustees 
of  the  said  First  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  Township  of  Woodbridge 
and  their  successors  for  the  time  being,  shall  from  time  to  time,  have 
Power  to  choose  their  President  out  of  the  Trustees  for  the  time  being, 
who  shall  have  the  Custody  of  the  Public  vSeal  of  the  said  Corporation, 
and  all  the  books,  Charters,  Deeds  and  Writings  any  ways  belonging  to 
the  said  corporation,  and  shall  have  Power  from  time  to  time,  and  at  all 
times  hereafter,  as  occasion  shall  require  to  call  meetings  of  the  said 
Trustees,  at  Town  of  Woodbridge,  aforesaid,  for  the  execution  of  all  or 
any  of  the  Powers  hereby  given  and  Granted. 

And  in  case  of  Sickness,  Absence  or  Death  of  the  President,  all 
the  Powers  by  these  presents  Granted  to  the  President  shall  be  and 
remain  in  the  Eldest  Trustee  upon  Record,  until  the  recovery  or  return 
of  the  President,  or  until  a  new  President  be  chosen  as  foresaid. 

And  we  do  further,  will,  ordain,  give  and  Grant,  that  all  and  every 
Act,  and  Order  of  Five  of  the  said  Trustees  (but  not  of  any  lesser 
number)  consented  and  agreed  to  at  such  meeting  of  the  Trustees  afore- 
said shall  be  good,  valid,  and  effectual  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  as  if 
the  whole  number  of  the  Said  Trustees  had  consented  and  agreed  thereto. 

And  we  do  further  will  and  ordain  that  all  the  acts  of  the  said 
Trustees  shall  from  time  to  time  be  fairly  entered  in  a  book  or  books  to 
be  kept  for  that  purpose  by  the  President  of  the  Trustees  for  the  time 
being,  which  Book  or  Books,  together  with  the  Seal  of  the  said  Corpor- 
ation and  all  the  Charters,  Deeds  and  Writings  whatsoever  belonging 
any  ways  to  the  said  corporation,  shall  be  delivered  over  by  the  former 
President,  to  the  president  of  the  Said  Trustees  newly  Elected  for  the 
time  being  as  such  president  shall  hereafter  from  time  to  time  succes- 
sively be  chosen. 

And  Lastly  we  do  of  our  special  Graces  certain  knowledge  and 
meer  motion  for  us,  our  Heirs  and  successors  by  these  Presents,  Give 
and  Grant  unto  the  said  Trustees  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
the  Township  of  Woodbridge,  and  their  successors  forever,  that  these 
our  Letters,  Patent  or  the  enrollment  thereof  Shall  be  good  and 
Effectual  in  the  Law  to  all  Intents  and  Purposes  against  us,  our  Heirs 
and  Successors  without  any  other  License,  Grant  or  Confirmation  from 
us,  our  Heirs  and  Successors  hereafter  by  said  Trustees  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  Township  of  Woodbridge,  to  be  had  or 
obtained  notwithstanding  the  not  Reciting  or  mis-reciting  or  not  naming 
or  mis-naming  of  the  aforesaid  officers,  Franchises  Privileges  immuni- 
ties or  other  the  Premises  or  any  of  them,  and  notwithstanding  a  Writ 
of  "Ad  Quod  Damnum ' '  hath  not  issued  forth  to  inquire  of  the 
Premises  or  any  of  them  before  the  Ensealing  thereof  any  Statue,  Act, 

57 


Ordinance  or  Provision,  or  any  other  matter  or  thing  to  the  Contrary 
Notwithstanding,  To  have,  Hold  and  enjoy  all  and  Singular  the 
Privileges,  Advantages,  Liberties,  Immunities  and  all  other  the  Premi- 
ses, herein  and  hereby  Granted  and  Given  or  which  are  meant,  Men- 
tioned or  intended  to  be  herein  given  and  Granted  unto  them  the  said 
Trustees  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  Township  of  Wood- 
bridge,  and  to  their  successors  forever. 

In  Testimony,  whereof,  we  have  caused  these  our  Letters  to  be 
made  Patent  and  the  Great  Seal  of  our  said  Province  of  New  Jersey,  to 
be  hereunto  affixed  ;  Witness  our  Trusty  and  well  beloved  Jonathan 
Belcher,  Esq.,  Governor  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  said  Province  of 
New  Jersey,  this  Eighth  Day  of  September,  in  the  Thirtieth  year  of  our 
Reign,  and  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and 
Fifty- Six,  etc. 

CHARLES  READ,  Sec. 

I  have  perused  the  above  charter  arjd  find  nothing  therein  con- 
tained inconsistent  with  His  Majesty's  Honour. 

COURT' D   SKINNER,  Atty.-Gen'l. 

[L.S.] 


Dr.    E.    B.    FREEMAN. 


58 


TRUSTEES. 

By  a  vote  of  the  freeholders  of  the  town,  held  May  21st,  1754,  the 
following  elected  trustees  to  take  charge  of  the  meeting  house,  burial 
ground  and  the  two  hundred  acres  of  land  granted  by  the  Lord's 
Proprietors,  Richard  Cutter,  Edward  Crowell,  William  Brown,  William 
Heard,  David  Dunham,  George  Brown,  John  Moores,  Moses  Bloomfield. 
Their  names  are  incorporated  as  trustees  in  the  royal  charter,  granted 
September  8,  1756. 

William  Cutter  succeeded  Richard.  WTilliam  Edgar,  Edward  Crowell, 
Tssac  Tappen,  William  Heard,  Alexander  Freeman,  David  Dunham, 
Jonathan  Inslee,  John  Moores,  William  Brown,  George,  Henry  Freeman, 
Alexander,  Gen.  Heard,  Isaac  Tappen. 

After  September,  1791,  list  of  Trustees,  with  their  term  of  service, 
is  as  follows  : 

Campyon  Cutter,  1791-1830. 
John  Brown,  Jr.,  1 791-18 17. 
Timothy  Brewster,  1 791-1809. 
Thomas  Edgar,  1 791-1809. 
Abraham  Tappen,  1791-99. 
Jarvis  Bloomfield,  1791-95. 
James  Paton,  1 791-18 17. 
John  Heard,  1 795-1 802. 
Ichabod  Potter — 1 798-1 829. 
Jonathan  Freeman,  1 802-1 829. 
Joseph  Barron,  1 809-1 829. 
John  Brewster,  1809-19. 
Samuel  Edgar,  18 17-31. 
Samuel  Dunn,  1817-25. 
Thomas  Jackson,  1822-29. 
Gage  Inslee,  1823-42. 
William  Edgar,  1823-46. 
George  Y.  Brewster,  1825-54. 
Peter  Edgar,  1830-32. 
Thomas  C.  Brown.  1830-46. 
Edgar  Freeman,  1830-70. 
Ephraim  Harriot,   1832-36. 
William  Brown,  1832-42. 
Dr.  E.  B.  Freeman,  1842-74. 
John  E.  Barron,  1842-49. 
James  P.  Edgar,  1846-74. 


59 


Ephraim  Cutter,  1848-55. 
Clarkson  Edgar,  1849-50. 
Peter  Melick,  1850-70. 
Samuel  Cutter,  1842-50. 
David  N.  Demarest,  1850-67. 
George  W.  Brown,  185 4- 60. 
Hampton  Cutter,  1855-81. 
James  M.  Brown,  1860-81. 
J.  Mattison  Melick,  1867-74. 
C.  M.  Dally,  1870-72. 
Edward  J.  Thompson,  1870-74. 
James  P.  Prall,  1872-76,  1881-85. 


HAMPTON    CUTTER. 


60 


In  1874,  at  the  time  of  the  withdrawal  of  the  Congregational  Church 
the  following  constituted  the  Board : 

Dr.  E.  B.  Freeman,  James  P.  Edgar,  Hampton  Cutter,  James  M. 
Brown,  J.  Mattison  Melick,  Edward  J.  Thompson,  James  P.  Prall. 

At  the  annual  Parish  meeting,  1874,  a  resolution  was  adopted  that 
each  year  hereafter  the  two  Trustees  at  the  head  of  the  list  should  retire 
and  two  new  ones  be  elected  in  their  stead. 

William  P.  Edgar,   1875,  1882, -'86. 

John  Thompson,  1875. 

C.  W.  Boynton,  1877, -'81, -'88, -'90. 

Joseph  H.  T.  Martin,  i877,-,8o,-,83,-'86,-,87,-'94,-'95,-'98. 

William  H.  Cutter,  1878, -'82, -'83, -'86. 

John  Anderson,  1878, -'81. 

Anthony  Schoder,  1879,  l889,-'95- 

William  Edgar,  1879, -'83, -'86, -'90. 

Henry  A.  Monis,  1880, -'82. 

Dr.  S.  E.  Freeman,  1880, -'82, -'84, -'87. 

William  T.  Ames,  i88i,-'82. 

Benjamin  Drake,  1882, -'85. 

Thomas  C.  Brown,  1885, -'87, -'89, -1900. 

John  M.  Sutton,  1885, -'88, -'93, -'95. 

Marcus  A.  Brown,  1885, -'89. 

Charles  S.  Demarest,  i886,-'89, -'90,-1900. 

A.  D.  Brown,  1887, -'91. 

William  Bedman,  1888, -'91, -'95, -'97. 

Elmer  E.  Melick,  1890,- '93. 

William  T.  Ames,  Jr.,  1881,-1900. 

Isaac  H.  Tappen,  1892,-1900. 

James  Lyle,  1895, -'97. 

J.  Edgar  Brown,  1895,-1900. 

John  Paterson,  1897, -'99. 

Howrard  A.  Tappen,  1897,-1900. 

John  E.  Breckenridge,  1899,-1900 


61 


JAMES    M.    BROWN. 


62 


PRESENT   OFFICERS   OF   THE   CHURCH. 


Pastor,  Rev.  Joseph  M.  McNulty,  D.D. 

session  : 

Isaac  S.  Payne. 
William  H.  Brown. 
James  P.  Prall. 
Marcus  A.  Brown. 
T.  Harvey  Morris. 
William  Edgar,  Clerk. 

BOARD    OF    TRUSTEES: 

Charles  S.  Demarest,  President. 
William  T.  Ames,  Secretary. 
Howard  A.  Tappen,  Treasurer. 
Isaac  H.  Tappen. 
Thomas  C.  Brown. 
J.  Edgar  Brown. 
John  E.  Breckenridge. 

Sexton,  C.  J.  Scott. 

Organist,  Mrs.  Seth  Lockwood. 

Precentor,  Louis  E.  Potter. 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL  : 

Superintendent,  Howard  A.  Tappen. 

Assistant  Superintendent,  T.  Harvey  Morris. 

Secretary,  John  Webber. 

Assistant  Secretary,  Walter  Blair. 

Treasurer,  Marcus  A.  Brown. 

Librarian,  J.  Edgar  Brown. 

Assistant  Librarian,  Ellis  B.  Freeman,  Jr. 

Superintendent  of  Home  Department,  Miss  May  Dixon. 

63 


PRESS    OF 

WM.    J.    SCHAUFELE 

NEW    YORK 


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